COAL CRISIS IN N.S.W. HAS MADE THE CITIZEN A POLITICAL PAWN

Wanganui Chronicle, 30 June 1948, Page 5

COAL CRISIS IN N.S.W. HAS MADE THE CITIZEN A POLITICAL PAWN

(F—m C. R. Mentiplay). Recd. 9. p.m. Sydney, June 29. For a week now industry has been proceeding uneasily from hour to hour and citizens have been expecting at any time to find themselves without light, transport, or cooking facilities. Though the decision of the northern miners to refrain from holding a general stop-work meeting has staved off a complete collapse of power services, there has been no real improvement, in the coal position. The New South Wales citizen finds himself in the not unfamiliar position of a pawn in a game between the Government and the workers. His bewilderment is increased by the part played in the crisis by managements of public utility services. Last week power authorities went to the State Cabinet with a demand for immediate and drastic rationing, including two powerless days a week lor industry and crippling curtailments of rtam and train services. The situation was serious enough, as there were virtually no coal reserves and the Government had been forced to close down heavy industry in Sydney and Newcastle for 24 hours.

But the State Cabinet refused to be stampeded into making a hasty decision to introduce cuts of a more permanent nature. Cabinet sittings considered the matter day and night without reaching a satisfactory conclusion. To his great surprise, the man in the street, found himself last week-end still enjoying normal lighting and transport facilities. That is still the position. The citizen realises that whatever its deliberations, the State Cabinet cannot make coal. Therefore, he is wondering why the power authorities were so far astray in their estimates as to declare that if rationing was not resorted to Sydney would have no power whatever within a few hours. The Govrenment has declined to authorise rationing. A week old order by the Soft Coal Board to cut coal consumption is being ignored. The Sydney County Council continues to burn all the coal it can get and declares it will not reduce consumption until rationing is authorised. Already a section of the press and a number of private citizens are charging lhe gas and electricity auth - orities with endeavouring to pass their troubles prematurely to the long suffering public for political ends. The public realises that the .shortage and unofficial rationing of gas, which is the only present hardship suffered by the householder, is not connected in any way with the coal position, but is the result of a dispute between the companies and gasworkers concerning overtime rates. Meanwhile, at least ten mines remain idle each day, and no visible progress is being made with the fundamental problem of getting coal from the ground into the bunkers of consumers.