16 OCTOBER 1953, Page 16

Sue,—As a mere consumer of coal, and in a very

small way at that, I have read with great interest the articles by Messrs. Mitchell and Anderson on the problems of its production.

If it comes to red herrings, I must say that Mr. Mitchell could show Strix a thing or two if called upon to do so. Why should the community be whipping the miner if it expects him to do honestly the work which he undertook to do and for which he is extremely well paid ? And why is it unkind to expect him to do it on the proper day instead of at the week-end at higher rates ?

Miners, says Mr. Mitchell, are leaving the pits for jobs of a more congenial nature, and he draws attention to the shrinking labour force available. Does he condone the hulla- baloo which was raised by the miners when Italians, willing and able to do the work, were brought into the Country to help ?

Lastly, why need an answer be wrong because it is simple, straightforward and obvious to all except the few backsliders among the miners ? It is usually the wrong answers which have to be wrapped up in webs of words and strings of statistics, or so it seems to fnany of Mr. Mitchell's simple fools like myself.—Yours faithfully,

ELIZABETH P,AWsEY Ash Tree, Aldringham, Nr. Leiston, Suffolk