NOT DYING.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19928, 15 May 1930, Page 12

NOT DYING.

STATE OP BRITISH INDUSTRY. THE CRITICS CONFOUNDED. (bpbciill* WBirrMt to* thb pebss.) (By HABTLEY WITHBKS.) British industry is bo accustomed tp having funeral Bermona: preached over it that it would feel quite uncbmforti nble now if anybody told" it that it had any chance of'reeqyery from its present ailments. One of my earliest recollections is that of dreary pri> phecies poured into •my juvenile ears by {my elders that I should live to 6ee j the streets of Liverpool and Manchester deep in grass. "That was fifty odd years ago and since then we have had Mr Joseph Chamberlain, with his dirges about the fate of our "dying industries," followed -by a great revival of their liveliness and activity. In ■ the pre-war years we were ■ treated by our domestic and foreign critics to chronic assurances that we were a decadent race incapable of anything like virile exertion. These vaticinations were strikingly similar to those quoted .> by Burke as : having been uttered at tho beginning of the Seven Years' War in a- work by a certain Dr. Browne, which stated that the distinguishing features of the English people had been totally changed and that "a frivolous effeminacy was become the national character," This work was a best seller of its day, and yet, <aa Burke expressed it, "never, did; the masculine;;spirit of. England display itself; with more • energy, nor over. did /its-,, genius . Boar,; with - a . prouder pre-oininence than at the turre when frivolity " and \effeminacy had been at'least tacitly acknowledged as their national' character by the good people of this kingdom." And* we may faifly ; boast-that just; as vicn tdries of > the Seven Years' • War belied the -croakers;, so* bur -achievements .in the late war, showed; that .we were not quite, as- decadent as ourjfriends, and enemies had believed. In the.light of these repeated- refusals,of this: country, and its industry to lie down quietly arid be .buried, just because they arte assured thpt'they are. dead, it is possible to receive,with » scepticism : the prophecies of our rapid. • industrial decline, which have lately been voiced. - ' "_, J[t is certainly true (if - we- begin by looking at.the blackest side of the picture) that British, industry-is now faced by greater difficulties than ever before —the growth of industrial activity within the borders of countries that used to be our customers; the expansion of the productive power of our rivals; new tariff barriers set up and. old ones raised higher; our heavy-burden of taxation and' its -. unscientific incidencej which seems to be designed to discourage industry: from making generous allocations -to depreciation, and reserves; .a party in power which is inclined-to act as if an economie Paradise can be created by skinning the employer, and capitalist instead of them to :> produce; the-strorigly.'-entrenched position of" the "sheltere-d trades" which bam-. per>the, rest, by, : their njea' who expect bhyerk-to' run*aboqt. and ; look for ? thet&;': stuffy ■ employed who ought: to be in mosSomi ; obsttaate ' trade the Walland see whatWrhappeiiiing out-? i sidepall:kindsiof neete the .pruning knife arid - tie bonftre--ajl these things and .others",'tn'ati .will occur to'the inirids of readers are obvious and note'ribus.' _:_. .• '.':'-'..':.'J '"' ',

• have, ii! good 'deaKto put-on the other sidei ;bf>the account, gleaned" froW the'-utterancejj- of .todaft.trialisVexp<fr;ts,'.* Great, Britain has "injmenser Advantages * great? pulLin the -.quality': of- its-york-'ersMbose;whb are,inclined, to; i d<»pau' of'ner\iuture AriU ; be advised tolook up a letter in "The. Tuhes,"' of January:' Ist, written by Lord Weir,, then -just returned J "I romi a. round Voyage -on Atlafi,tic,' ; 'whov therein ■ his conviction ; that fthere aire few : things>; being produced :: In. United' States which we could not: produce' at\ least as economically 'and as efficiently, provided .we .organise ourselves to dotfc. • "Geographically," his lordship says, with regard" to: iron and steel, *' there are certain' locations on our- British coast. muck more economic from the point of ; view'of ore. and fuel delivery tnan "any jjjreatAmerican-" or Continental producer, addition : to which we have the very; valuable advantage of return As regards operative 'labour, anyone who h»B experience 'of, the -degree \ of"intelligence of average American labour appreciates the much higher value of our British worker. Then, as regards-foitenjen and. assistant' managers, it *is no secret that America is. always ready, to offer 1 tneni jobs - ; on '•■ account of " their intelligence and ability. AuanlyßM.**'United 'States costs of production .seems tome: to'prove, conclusively ithati-with sijhilar production, facilities, and methods, with British geographical freight advantages, with British labour even at;remuneration.*'in 'excess- of "existing rates, British' costs can be economic and command ; the world's; markets,' ' ; '. So much for iron but:Lord Weir goes' on "to say that .he v can' find I no -British \ basic J industry, even ing British railways, which will not .'respond, quickly ,'to'' <f organisation, .confidence in' the future,, and sane , but imaginative capital expenditure ..on the modernising; .of; all. pfoduetive" facilities." Even for our agriculture'he can find no fundamental reason: for; gloom and depression, and: he is convinced that a. much; larger share of pur food: supply can be produced: at if.. ; we ganise ourselves..to. do. it. What we want, in .his., view, is. "greater.!'drive from a community with faith,- courage, and ability." • ;; ;• ■■.■ Lord Weir, as quoted above,, spoke highly- of the quality of ojiir workers, and of what may; be called the noDcommissioned officers: of dur industrial anny. Sir: David' sneaking at 'the "meeting *ol :the An thracitaCbllieries(see. '•■ '.'TheTimes;'' March'24tbV paid, a similar ;tribute, and : extended'it to the ;nianagement. "I have," he said, "neyer" known men work as hard as .tbe,.workjneniOf- South Wales have worked--«nd'theKqwe-vp- - plies to .the; the -past twelve months.,-. . v It.- has .•been - repeated so often that the colMery managements of this' country are an ■oldfashioned lot that'the.world has cope to believe it. The fs*t is that we have tl»» , best-managed I collieries, and the safest ,r>its in tbe-worjd. They are looked upon in 'foreign countries a s a model,: and wo have people coming here to .visit, them.to-day.; and: adopting' our "methods of work-V; V ; This being :6o K all: that.is needed is for, the laggards -in; British industry to' be tuned up tojthe pace ;of the swiftest: Trained by/ that' hard taskmaster, • necessity, they'ican." surely "make' the effort. ' ".''"' ■'.'...