29 MARCH 1946, Page 4

When the personnel of the future Coal Board, minus its

vice- chairman, was announced I commented on the excellence of Mr. Shinwell's choice. Tuesday's further announcement, that the vice- chairman is to be Sir Arthur Street, raises the general standard of quality very decisively. Sir Arthur, who has long had the repu- tation of being the ablest civil servant in Whitehall, as well as a phenomenally hard-worker, is at present Permanent Secretary of the Control Office for Germany and Austria, but it was as Permanent Secretary of the Air Ministry throughout the war that he rendered his greatest service to the country. The keynote of his success, apart from his native ability, could be defined as hard work without red tape. The Coal Board can find plenty of scope for that.