O.M.S. IN MINES
Sta,—The Director of Public Relations of the National Coal Board must not assume that your readers are quite as green as appears from his letter to you which appeared in The Spectator of June 18th, 1948. From the figures he has given it is quite clear that the figure for coalface output has been deliberately chosen, not for the reason given but because it presents a more flattering picture. Clearly from the information he has supplied the place where there is really room for improvement, in so far as cost is concerned at least, is in the total numbers employed, and the reason given for the unfavourable comparison between today's and the 1938 figure is not acceptable, particularly if account is taken of the increase in mechanisation since 1938, which has recently been referred to by Sir Charles Reid.
Perhaps through you, Sir, I might ask the Director of Public Relations of the National Coal Board to let us have the 1938 and 1948 figures of the annual average output of saleable coal a head for all mine workers. I suggest that this figure is one that will best give a true comparison of the 1938 and 1948 efficiency of coalmining in this country.—Yours
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