The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1951-03-22

were, Is men representing labol
and management in the British
mining industry, waiting to be in
terviewed by the US press. A re,
porter for a financial paper hac
predicted before the interview that
the British twill admit that mining
is far better under our capitalistiC
system and my paper will be
happy" When the questioning be-
gan, reporters kept coming back
again and again to the horrors
of naturalization of the British
coal industry.
The visitors refused to admit
any s'horrors." In fact, they said
the British were ahead of the Am
ericans in many ways, and that the
Americans could learn a thing OF
two from the British.
So, there really was no story.
And there was no story next day in
the Washington or New York
papers.
Members of the team showed
amused surprise at the reporters
insistence. +. l.. Chiverton, one Of
six management men on the team
and production director Of the
southeast division of the British
National Coal Board, said "At
home we don't even talk about it
any more. The nationalizing of the
mines was something that had to
be done and we accepted it. It's
only when we get to this country
that we find such concern about il"
Harry Wileman, a member of the
executive committee of the British
National Union of Mine Workers,
said GAS far as the men are con-
cerned, they are not dissatisfied.
We feel we have made great
strides" He pointed to such gains
as vacations and holidays with pay
and the guaranteed fiv e-dayI
week. which entities a miner to-
full pay if he is available for work
when there is no work because of
a machinery breakdown or other
Both Chiverton and Wileman|
that the four-year per
iod of naturalization is too short
a time to really evaluate the pro-
gram fully. Said Chiverton, at is
the biggest operation ever under
taken by any country"
The team visited II mines in|
Pennsylvania, Arkansas;
and West Virginia. Their tour isl
sponsored by the Economic Coop
Grafton Administration. Chiverton|
said the men were particularly
impressed" with US haulage met
hods. Britain has no trolley loco
which in the US haul carsI
five tons of coal each
English coal cars, which carryl
about one ton, are pulled by elec
.rically operated steel cables which,
use far more manpower.
Us production of coal is about
four times greater per man shift
because of greater meehanization
and larger coal reserves. But Vile |
nan pointed out that you can't getl
rs much coal with machines. "Somc
US mechanization would be dang
,rous for us because we can't af-
FORD to leave any COAL" he said.
Chiverton said "We have been
mining about 1900 years, which
has made an awful hole in the
ground. We take out every ton we
IAN, try to get a lG0 percent ex-
rate. The US has been
mining only about 200 years and
averages only a 50 percent eXtrac-
ion rate"
81 think" he added, "that the USl
s beginning to realize that is not
he right thing to do"
Tom Kennedy, vice-president of
he United Mine Workers, which |
arranged the itinerary for the
team, agreed with Chiver-
on when he said, 81 understand
,ur safety record is rather better
han yours. Our safety rules are
much stricter."
As to the standard of living,
'hiverton said "From what I've
een, British miners houses are
'ctter because we put more en-
'hasiS on the Home. We don't put
o much emphasis on refrigeratorS
'ecause we don't have your ex-
remes of temperature and we don't
equire cars because we don't have
uch great distances to travel.
'hc British also feel they are
head of US miners in their health
nd welfare program. "Take the
ath at the pit, for instance
,hiverton said. Eve think that is