WINTER AND ECONOMIC STRESS BOTH NEARING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25327, 29 October 1947, Page 6

WINTER AND ECONOMIC STRESS BOTH NEARING

LONDON MISCELLANY

(Specially Written for "The Press.") (By S- O. BROOKES]

London, October 18.—AH Britain is at present in a strange state of suspense. It is a safe conclusion that the whole country now understands the general economic problem. But the remedies have not yet struck with full force at everyday life. There is still no drama in the situation, no general awareness that disaster or triumph awaits us. Certain steps are being taken to meet certain difficulties. But the processes are slow. The crisis arrived by instalments, and the answer is coming by instalments, none startling in themselves, and none in appearance very effective. _ , The Control of Engagement Order is now in force. Its effect was reduced by political and other considerations before it was approved: and it seems so far to have had no results whatsoever Indeed, & the north-west, where most of the nation’s unemployed are located, it has al rea dy proved inadequate. There are not enough jobs in the area for the workless, who cannot be shifted to the Midlands, where they are wanted. The unions naturally do not want workers to be moved from their home?. Even if they could be moved, there is nowhere for them to live. In addition, most of these men are dockside or shipbuilding labourers, who would not be much use in the mills that need hands. Britain could well do with their skill and experience m their own jobs, but they are idle because Britain is short of materials for her heavy industries. And she will remain short unless all hands can be turned to production.

Waiting This is typical of thg interlooked problems facing ttfp planners. It is the sort of devilish situation* which only the greatest effort can meet and break. The ponderous processes of Government are not inspiring. Again, the planners are trying to persuade the country to work staggered hours, so that the electricity load, for example, can be spread over two or three shifts instead of being uneconomically peaked in one. This device has been discussed throughout the summer, and is only now being introduced, tentatively, in some areas. It creates new problems' for the transport/ catering, and amusement industries. It is opposed by the thousands who do not like sleeping by day. The shortage of accommodation, which means that living places are everywhere crowded, also meaps that night workers can seldom be sure of quiet rest. The results so far, are reported to be unsatisfactory. Schemes of thia sort, which begin with an encouraging flourish, all seem to end with draggled plumes. Britain is waiting, uneasily, unhappily, and in some ways helplessly, for the winter. Enterprise, Corporate--These notes have occasionally criticised archaic industrial methods, hanging over in Britain from last century. The other side of the picture seems obvious, and is therefore seldom emphasised. foe recent report of the Distillers Companies is a good example. Their capital and chemical knowledge have both been developed on whisky. A £7,000.000 development scheme now brings the company into the production of penicillin, and the former great Government factory at Speke is also to be used for the production of streptomycin, supplies of which have so far come from the United States. A new subsidiary company, with a capital of £1,000,000, is, to operate this factory, which has been making almost as much penicillin as 20 similar factories in the United States, and which is also to be used for developmental work in the general field of anti-biotics. The companies are also interested in oil and a wide range of plastics, synthetic resins, adhesives. and industrial alcohol. Among many tributes to the Williams family, of Wales, the “Scotsman’s” will possibly bp most appreciated. since toe Scots and the Welsh do not normally join in Hallelujahs. There are three men in the Williams family. By themselves they have built two bungalows and installed electricity, a drainage system, and a water supply. They have built themselves a road, and now they have started working a coal mine of their own, with an average output considerably above the national aveiage. The “Scotsman” fears that they are in some danger from the law. Tney are taking coal from their own property —a pretty cool thing to do these days They have -produced coal in a quantity which seems to flout the T.U.C. They have shown contempt tor thp State by building two houses. They are bringing local government into

disrepute by digging drains, pipuwater, and making a road. tGJJ . operations, says the "Scotsman," •«. nothing but private enterprise on a desperate scale. -Worst oi all ■Williamses went ahead without a Plan or a White Paper. An equally disturbing example of zeal was given in the Midlands re eently by two brothers, who navine more energy than capital, collected rubble from bombed or knocked down buildings, secured a bombed-out saj and built themselves a garage and ser vice station, entirely from uncontrolled materials. They, too. went ahead with out a plan, but they also went ahead without permission. They ended ih the courts. ' Privilege Enthroned The National Gallery’s shew of w stored paintings has not, as was ex" pected, overcrowded the corremSl dence columns of "The Times." fo. steau. we are having a long debate on the qualities of the Albert Hall and on the iniquities or the just rights’ ( S those owners of- seats and boxes who are known tp sell their privileges for high prices when celebrities perforin When the Hall was built, more than 1000 seats (in what some ciaim ate the best positions) were sold outriXt for the life of the building, and them are now handed down from father to son as carefully as a Maori legend Mr C. B. Cochran, who naturally has had frequent occasions to regret that so many seats are unsaleable for eon' certs, reports that he has had lexg advice on the subject. The law S lieves that Albert Hall seatholdm would be entitled, if they so wished to take up their seats and cart them off home. Again, if they wished IS could live in their seats. If they owned boxes, they could install bed. and a bath and live there, looking out of the front window on the talent displayed before them. No one has gone to these extremes But Mr Cochran recalls two see? holders—“obstinate.” in his mjis opinion—who insisted on their rishis once when tire well of the Hall wm covered by a dance floor. He obllrit them. He is an imperturbable ean He cut a hole in the dance floor and two ladies sat in their “mouse-kol." while the dancers cavorted reuns them. There is some doubt whether the advantage of owning an Albeit Hail seat extends beyond this ability to im. pose one’s Will on the great. It yet to be proved that anr position " the great circle ra free from a trouble some echo. A critic has said: “In «om« seats nothing can be heard: in nK, every note is heard twice, so that many people hear two concerts with, out extra charges.” Your correspond ent has dismally listened while Lennon coughs and programme rustler, drowned Yehudi Menuhin's violin Tt is no fun to watch a violinist’s bow striking the strings when nothing ran be heard but catarrhal bumbling from the audience. It may seem disrepeS. ful to suggest that the hall is best Mat for boxipg, but no more disrespect than the currently popular nronnmi that the nearbv Victoria and Albert Memorial should be used for a climb, mg school, now that SwitaerjJta beyond the reach of the pound sterling * a Domestic Mr Aneurin Bevan’s housing programme is slowly dying on his hands as the supply of materials and laboar is turned sway from him Local bodies are struggling to finish off contracfe and the Ministry of Supply wll han little for any housing outside the mh>. jng and agricultural areas, where national and individual needs alone coincide. The Board of Trade has announced, a ?5 per cent, cut in timber for furnishings. The cut is parily is save timber imports, partly to proffiQte the turnover tp export manu/ac* ture. Britain is making more and more baths, taps, washing machines and refrigerators: but most definitelv not for the home market. Most ot the baths, it. appears,, are going to South America, where there is a great demand. There is also a great demand in England, where. It is stated oniv one house in three has a bath with hot and cold water. Even fewer houses in Britain are fitted with laundering facilities. The “washhouse" must be a Dominion invention. It did not originate here: that is certain. In London houses it might be expected that room could not be spared for this purpose. But m the country, where there is not the same excuse, there are still no washhouses; even in large mansions. It is true that tubs and coppers are sometimes to be found, but tucked away in awkward corners. to whidh water must usually be carried in buckets; The British people, in consequence, are entirely at the mercy of their laundries, which have no mercy.