BRITAIN NOT GETTING ENOUGH COAL

Wanganui Chronicle, 20 July 1950, Page 5

BRITAIN NOT GETTING ENOUGH COAL

LONDON, July 18.—This year’s progress so far shown pretty clearly that we are still not getting enough coal to meet the needs of our customers at home and abroad. This is, to say the least, disappointing, said Lord Hyndle.", chairman of the National Coal Board, when he addressed the National Union of Mineworkers’ summer school at Bingley Training College, Yorkshire. At home miners had a duty to get the country all the coal it needed to speed the work of reconstruction and to give the housewives a fair deal. “Overseas customers,” Lord Hyndley continued, “are still crying out for British coal. If we let them down they will go elsewhere, and now that our foreign competitors are back on their feet we must not only hang on to our overseas markets, but we must do our utmost to extend them. “This is another reason why we must bring our costs down; otherwise we shall be unable to offer our coal abroad at competitive prices. If we fail in our task it will be an evil day for industry and the country. We can win if we put our backs into it. I have sufficient faith in our industry to be certanf that it will not only take up the challenge ,but will go on to lead Britain back to the front rank of the great industrial nations of the world.” The “Daily Telegraph’s” industrial correspondent says that Holland has banned imports of British coal because it is too expensive. National Coal Board officials are to visit Holland to try to revoke the ban. Under the current Anglo-Dutch ( trade treaty, Holland can buy 600,000 tons of coal a year. The board has exported 50,000 tons a month at prices ranging from £2/17/6 to £4/5/- a ton ton, f.o.b. The average inland pithead price of coal is £2/8/-. Purchases are I not obligatory so long as the total balance of trade is not disturbed. At the moment the Dutch are buying’ part of their coal at cheaper rates < from Germany.—Special N.Z.P.A. correspondent. i