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MEETING COAL
SHORTAGE
Importation From
Britain Proposed
CANBERRA, November 15.
The Acting Prime Minister (Mr.
Forde) accused the Opposition in
the House of Representatives today
with taking advantage of the
exigencies of the moment to em
barrass the Government over coal
production
He was replying to Mr. White
:'UAP. Vic.i who asked if the
Government proposed lo lake any
: 'definite action" in view oi alarm
inu report* about ihe transport of
' fodder for drought -bound .stock and
of Uie serious position concerning
the blast furnaces at Whyalla and
Newcastle. He suggested import
ing coal from Great Britain.
Mr. Porde said that the Govern
: mem was fully seized with the seri
(ousness of the coal shortage. There
: was not ample production to meet
; the demands of the country.
Amid uproar, he continued: —
'Australia is not the only nation
facing such a position, as the
member will see for himself if he
has recourse to statistics from the
United States and Great Britain.
Anyone who suggests that it might
be possible to import coal from
either or these countries is only
toying with the problem. It is
only oecau."=e we realise the seri
ousness of the position that the
Government has called a special
conference.
Here amid further uproar from
Opposition bench's the Speaker
(Mr.. Rosevear) had to call for
order
Continuing. Mr. Porde said that
the Government would meet the
New South Wales Premier and the
Minister of Mines on Monday. TilLs
meeting would be followed by a
conference with the representatives
of the miners and then of the coal
owners, with a view to making a
further approach to the question.
The Deputy Leader of the UAP
?Mr Harrison* —Like giving fur
ther concessions to the miners.
Mr Forde—For the Durpose of
findins a solution. It is no easy
oroblem When the members of
> the Opposition were on the Treas
iury benches thev failed to get coal
!(FMrth?>r Omwcirlnn nproart.
Later. Mr. White asked whether.
at the next coal conference, the
Government would suggest a
second shift in NSW mines and
whether it would also explore the
possibilities of importing coal from
South Africa, which wa6 one coun
try still in a position to export it?
; Mr. Porde—All aspects of the
:coal industry will be discussed fully
at the conference *
: Mr. Ryan fUAP. Vic.) asked the
Attorney-General <Dr. Evatt)
, whether any action had been taken
against any person or persons
unde- regulations Issued on August
24 qivina Uie Coal Commissioner
or hi? agents power .to remove from
coal mines any per?m whose pre
sence might prejudiciallv affect the
operation of Uie mines?
Dr. Evatt said that the adminis
tration of the regulation was with
the Coal Commissioner. He did not
think that any action had been
taken over a specific period, al
though a number of other legal
proceedings had been taken
$