27 DECEMBER 1946, Page 1

COAL TOMORROW

The long-term problem is a bigger challenge. It has been argued that the electricity and gas cuts which have disturbed both industrial and domestic consumers in the past few weeks will no longer be necessary when the required supplies of heavy equipment become available. But unfortunately the solution of the power problem involves the intensification of the coal problem. The dependence of both electricity and gas on coal has already become so irksome that the electric fire has acquired the status of a major menace, yet there is no way of avoiding that dependence. The re-equipment of the mines, the use of fuel oil, and the harnessing of atomic energy will all play their part, but only at an indefinite future date. For the next few years everything inevitably points to the miners. For their part they are working harder. They have recently expressed them- selves satisfied with the existing conciliation machinery, and Mr. Will Lawther has said that " there can be no justification whatever for any single stoppage in the British coalfields from now forward." There has been an unmistakeable lift in morale in anticipation of the transfer of the mines In public ownership on January 1st, and of the possible modification of the 1944 wage stand-still agreement soon afterwards. But the suggested institution of a five-day week early in May, 1947, is another matter. Even Mr. Shinwell has been cautious. He has said that the Government have no objection pro- vided that an output sufficient to meet the nation's needs is secured. The nation's needs are growing. It must therefore be proved that the five-day week Will actually bring about an increase in total production. That will be hard indeed to prove, but the situation is too serious for the issue to be shirked.