NATIONAL WEALTH

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 16, 20 January 1928, Page 7

NATIONAL WEALTH

PRO&LEMS OF INDUSTRY THE COST OF PRODUCTION (From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 3<jth November. Sir Alfred Mond, in his presidential address to the Institute o£ fuel, said:— "There has been a great movement; to 4 wards industrial eo-bperation during the last few years': Leaders on both side* realise that industry cannot prosper without industrial co-operation. Goodwill tor wards this exists; it needs but earnest and serious consideration of a comprehensive programme of industrial reconstruction, based Oil fco-opcratioh, <tud lhitish industry will once more lead the world. The Qovernment is fully alive to the importance of the problems of fuel technology, as lias been proved by the establishment of tho National Fiiel aim Power Cbihmittec, of which I am chairman, The committee has beeh iti existence for a little over a your and has already completed a preliminary survey of some of the major problems. While I cuiliiot indicate specifically any prelimihary r6pbr£ Which niight be made, .1 can fairly ihdic'ate a number of matters which will be tackled in the immediate' futiife. . "Among the problems of urgency and importance on which iulmediata Action may be expected ate the cbke-6Veh iudustry and the gas industry. The coke-oven industry is so intimately linked up with the national iloil and steel industries (hat any reforms which come frotn Various source*, both at Hotte and abroad, are Of great importance. It is quits impossible tor any due df the great manufacturing countries to make a large iteb torWaid in Industrial efficiency Without this being immediately reflected in similar industrits of its cotiijjetitorSi . ( i Sdiiie tieoitle gdt uitduly depreßSed about inctustry. But t SEe ho reason for theise tflbohiy Vietvs. Surveying the industries of the! country" aft a whole, I would »»y they »r<s net bo bad; they are getting Uittef, but they are Hot brilliant, . "There is nothing, fuatltnientaliy Wroflg with intlustry, and lot1 Heady Work, iatef ligeht spplicatioU to his job, Sad Willingaesk, to do his best, 1 Wdtitd back th^ British Working mih Against thwe «rtl« ployed In any other ißetorie* iti the world. OBe of the prdblfetiMl tl » Jlitiott'B prosperity la the cdßt of production df whatr ever it happen!! id ptoduc*, either tutioulturally or ihdUßtfially. Tfle loWef the costs of prodiidtlon, the greater the national wealth. It is only by n reductioti of ibe cost of production that a higher standard Of liYingt Cm be eetjhomisaliy tad eoUUdly based. By « redlstribiitioh of eiiatinf wealth, the poßltidh of *om« peopU could be tefnporarily irnpfoVed, but once that operation has been performed, it cannot be repeated."