OUTPUT INCREASE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22196, 5 December 1946, Page 6

OUTPUT INCREASE

OVER 1939 LEVEL BRITAIN’SJRESPONSE GOOD OMEN FOR FUTURE , (From A. W. Mitchell—Special to New Zealand Press Association) LONDON. Dec. 3. As .though in answer to Ministerial exhortations for an increased output and warnings of difficult times ahead, the latest official monthly digest of statistics shows that production is steadily mounting in Britain. Total employment and production over the range of Britain’s manufacturing industries are now higher than before the war. The output in many . heavy industries rose in - September, when there were 6,845,000 workers in the manufacturing industries, which was 25,000 more than June, 1945, and 30,000 more than in 1939. The average weekly coal production figure in October, 3,891,000 tons, was the second highest since November, 1943. Though this was 500,000 tons less than in 1939. the trend is upwards and „ stocks increased slightly. Steel 4000 Tons Over Record Weekly steel production in October, at 254,000 tons, was 4000 tons more than the pre-war record of 1937. Merchant shipping tonnage was slightly below the record of last February, the output of cars rose to a little below the 1935 monthly average, and the-.production of commodities such as clocks and electric goods exceeded the pre-war figures. Other goods, such as boots, carpets and cutlery, have increased 30 to 50 per cent, since the war.

These figures come as an encouragement at a time when the urgency of the need for production is being continually stressed. They give rise to the hope with economy and the steady upward' movement in exports, the American and Canadian loans will see ■ Britain through until nearly the end of 1948. In some quarters, however, it is doubted whether the loans will last that long if the Government continues its policy of “excessive concentration on nationalisation.” The President of the Board of Trade, Sir Stafford Cripps, has given a warning that there may be an impending dollar crisis. He pointed out that 50 per cent, of Britain’s imports come from the Americas, while only 14 per cent, of Britain’s exports go there. His remarks are stated io have made a profound impression. Manpower Bottleneck Meanwhile, the Lord President of the Council, Mr. Herbert Morrison, has referred to bottlenecks in manpower, materials and manufacturing capacity and has warned that in many ways the manpower position is likely to get worse than better. They should not however, be reasons for alarm and inertia, but, he said, a challenge to British resource and initiative. On the eve of the nationalisation of the coalmines, which comes into effect on January 1, Mr. Morrison also made a call to the miners and asked them 1 to show public spirit. “It is not good enough to be a Socialist at the polling booth and anti-social at the pit, so let your work be work of good cheer in the service of the nation, and turn your back on the miserable past. Go ahead to a brighter future.” He also told them that the men who work in the industry can make or mar the experiment of nationalisation. He expected them “to think big for the public good" and called for a spirit of responsible industrial democracy. The overall picture of British production, while heavily painted with sombre colours of manifold problems, nevertheless is increasingly showing streaks of light.