British Coal Industry

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23262, 25 July 1945, Page 4

British Coal Industry

THE United States Secretary of the Interior, Mr Harold L. Ickes, has announced that the United States is planning to send 6,000,000 tons of coal to Europe this year, if possible. “The race in Europe to-day,” he said, “is between coal and anarchy. I do not think it is going too far to say that a coal famine of such severity as to destroy nearly all semblance of law and order is certain to occur in some countries of north-west Europe unless immediate drastic action is taken. The threatened famine is attributable in part to the ravages of war in coal-produc-ing regions on the Continent, but even in Great Britain, where the war struck with less severity, there has been a decline in coal production. Two months ago the British Ministry of Fuel and Power issued a statistical survey of the British coal industry for 1941. These figures reflected the continued decline in production. Output in 1911—apart from the two strike years of 1921 and 1926 —was Iqwer than at any time since the 1880’s. From the long-term standpoint, the downward trend in manpower was one of the most significant features of the year’s figures. In 1923, when production was 276 million tons. 1.160,000 men were employed in the i industry. In 1914, with a production of 193 million tons (including opencast production), there were only 710,000 men employed. Interesting statistics have been given about the composition of the labour‘force. Of the 619.300 offer- I live wage earners on September 23,

1914, 16.5 per cent were more than 55 y ears of age. The proportion of the normal labour force over 55 would obviously be higher, but for the abnormal recruitment of Bevin boys and optants, who can be expected to leave as soon as controls are lifted. Major Lloyd George’s announcement that 12,000 underground miners will be returned from the Forces by September should help to provide a better balanced and more productive labour force. It is interesting also to note that 281,600 wage earners were employed at the face, 269,000 were engaged on other duties below ground and 157.500 al the surface, the latter figure having remained fairly constant since 1939. The lop-sided age composition ol the industry may be regarded as partly responsible lor the high absenteeism figures, states the Economist. The rale of 16.1 per cent in the first quarter of 1915 is the highest yet, though only 6.3 per eent is classified as voluntary. It is clear that the involuntary rale due Io such causes as sickness and accidents is likely Io be higher among the older workers, while at the other end of the scale, the voluntary rate is highest among the voting men. | and most partii illarh the Bevin boys. ! hi contrast to the declining produe- I tivity reflected in these figures, costs, of production have increased .tartlinglv. Wages per ton rose from |(l It) ill ] , )3'» |O 23 3 ill l‘> I I. and .!\C|<l' T C weekly e.iriiiiltrs iliei eiiscd fi .mi X2 15 !<• 15 9 1 (<-\< hiding ] ;i I IoWUHUO I dill nig llie -Jliie period, j