TOY FACTORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 157, 4 July 1940, Page 14

TOY FACTORIES.

NOW MAKE ARMS.

LUXURY GOODS RESTRICTED.

Machinery in England which, until a few weeks ago was turning out toy cannon and aeroplanee is now making parts for real ones. Even the machinery ueed in making dolls' eyee is being ewitched over for war work. The order issued by the Government restricting the supply of a long list of luxury goods—from silk stockings to sewing machines, dart boards to toy •soldiers—has already accelerated the industrial change-over, which will eoou (juudruple Britain's armament effort. Women, on whom the order made a tremendous demand—asking as it did that they should cut down on the rejilacement of almost every article used in their daily life—can rest assured that their eacrifice is not in vain even before they begin to make it. Manufacturing and distributing firms in all, parts of the country are now diverting men,' material* and machinery normally used to produce only "luxury" articles to vital war production. At one large mechanical toy factory somewhere in England, where nearly 2000 workers are employed, the skilled labour is already almost entirely engaged on war work. And everv day more labour and more machinefv arc being turned over to arms making.

In Miniature. The managing director eaid to a 'Daily Mail" reporter: "A large part of our machinery is ideal for making the more delicate parts of both aeroplanes and tanks. It ie machinery in miniature, but it produces high grade parts with exact precision and we are ueing it to the full for the war effort. Even without the new restriction imposed on toys, we should be compelled to keep down txj two-thirds of our peacetime production because of the restriction on raw materials and the difficulties of manufacture generally." Several Manchester toymakers are already making articles of direct uee in the arms industry. An official of a Lancashire factorv which normally make 6 office equipment said: "We are already on Government work. I don't think the restriction order will make any difference to Uβ." The clackening-off "in luxury production will provide the munition factories with thousands more girl workers. Already hundreds of girls a day are starting work in arms-factories. Most of them are already used to manipulative work and require little special training.