WAR SUPPLIES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 73, 23 September 1939, Page 13

WAR SUPPLIES

BRITISH INDUSTRY

FACTORIES CHANGING OVER

FIRST DEMANDS MET

(British Official Wireless.) (Received September 23, 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, September 22. In announcing in the House of Commons the names of those who will act under his chairmanship as the new Council, of Supply, Dr. Burgin, Minister of Supply, gave in broad outline a description of the activities of his Ministry. He revealed the extent to which industry has already been placed on a war basis. " v Sixty-eight firms are now engaged in shell production beyond those normally engaged in this work. Seven hundred firms are engaged in making shell, components, and 6500 contractors are; now working for the Ministry. Nine thousand firms are either working or ready to turn over to war production. The-Supply Minister declared that a system of national factories in effect had been brought into being. At the beginning of the defence programme four ordnance factories existed. Up to the outbreak of war 18 more were added* and since then six further had been added. In addition, a large number of private factories had been fitted with Government plant for the purpose of war production. REGIONAL DIRECTION. As a further step towards the mobilisation of industrial resources to meet war needs where these resources are at present in reserve, the country has been dividedlnto thirteen areas, ensuring that problems such as labour, transport, and overlapping are dealt with speedily and with full knowledge of local conditions. Regional directing organisations arc-now being set up by the Ministry of Supply. Stress will be laid on the need for machine tools, upon which the country's war production so much depends. By supplying such tools reserve resources can make a contribution of vital importance. Meanwhile, officers of the Ministry of Supply are surveying plant, floor space, and other essentials to ensure that no productive capacity which can be used or adapted for use in the war effort is neglected. The first demands on supply have been met. An-example of what has been done is the equipment of the field force, The equipment provided has in fact more than satisfied the demands. In addition to what was required for immediate use, great reserves are already available to meet expansions and to repaid inevitable wastage. , While -these and other short-term requirements have been satisfied, the larger task of expanding the mobilisation of the nation's resources for longterm prosecution of the war is being energetically tackled. Resources of stocks, plant, and skill not already serving war needs are being directed to their spheres of greatest usefulness. "TOO BUREAUCRATIC." Mr. Arthur Greenwood (Labour) criticised Dr. Burgin's speech on the ground that the machinery outlined by him was too bureaucratic. He would prefer to see industrialists and manufacturers themselves organising industry for the maximum war effort, rather than civil servants.