ARMS OUTPUT AND SAVINGS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 June 1940, Page 7

ARMS OUTPUT AND SAVINGS

BRITISH WORKERS’ RESPONSE

[BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.]

RUGBY, June 11.

The Minister for Labour (Mr Ernest Bevin) in a broadcast said: “As Minister for Labour I appealed to you a few weeks ago to give me greater output, and I thank you for that response. How right I was in that appeal! That equipment and those resources you have been providing are standing both our brave French Allies and ourselves in good stead' in this critical hour. And.l know that in addition to the French soldiers who are fighting, thfe French workmen are working with tremendous will and with the limited capacity at their disposal for the purpose of providing the soldiers and salors with munitions of war to stem the tide of the aggressor.” Mr Bevin then made a stirring appeal for increased savings by British workers, pointing out the necessity for a vast volume of money to pay for the ever-increasing flow of war materials. Not only was this money necessary for immediate spending on war supplies, but also desirable as a “nest egg” to assist the leader in readjustment after the war, when the -enemies of the workers are defeated and the Nazi and Fascist regimes destroyed'.

“Every pound you can subscribe,” he said, “will be a demonstration of your hatred of the concentration camp and the brutal murders of your fellow workers by Hitler. As a Socialist, I feel that now is the chance of saying to Mussolini: ‘We work, we fight, we save, and we give to avenge the death of our great comrade Matteotti whom you brutally murdered.’ ”

UNEMPLOYED DECREASE.

RUGBY, June 10.

Unemployed on May 20 totalled 811,000, which is a reduction of 92,000 in a month, and 611,000 in a year. The reduction does not represent the full increase in arms workers, many have been transferred from other industries.

The Ministry of Supply declared 1 that 1,500 firms “controlled undertakings.” Firms will be subject to the directions issued from the Ministries for which they are working.