BRITISH INDUSTRY

Grey River Argus, 17 May 1946, Page 5

BRITISH INDUSTRY

REVIVAL THIS YEAR * Government’s Report LONDON, May 15. By the end of the present year, Britain will have more people making goods for home consumption and export than in 1939.

This is revealed in a report issued by the Ministry of Labour which states that the whole process of. demobilisation and the reconversion of British industry to a peacetime basis will be completed by the end of this year—lB months after the end of the war in Europe.

Vickers Armstrong to March 31 booked orders for £18,000,000 worth of merchant ships, £6,000,000 wortn of commercial aircraft, £5,500,000 worth of engineering products and £20,000,000 worth of prefabricated houses, says the Evening News, quoting information given to stockholders. By the end of this year it is expected that the strength of the armed forces and auxiliaries will be reduced to 1,200,000 and the number of workers producing supplies and equipment for the forces will be reduced to' 500,000. During the past nine months there has been a reduction of 5,157,000 in the number employed in the forces, police and fire service and in manufacturing supplies for the forces. More than 3,000,000 workers have been reabsorbed into civilian industries.

One trend causing cqncern is the steady drift of women from industrial work. During March, the numbei' of women engaged in this type of employment decreased by 76,000. It is recognised that a decrease in the number of women in industry is inevitable, but, in view of the demand for women workers and the necessity for increased production, the reduction is regarded as too great. Despite the extensive changes involved in the reconversion of industry, the latest unemployment figures show a slight decrease—the first since the end of the war.

The Dominion Trade Conference, which was to have been held in July, is not likely to start until October. Its major task is to decide how far the Empire is prepared to go in the adjusting of Imperial preferences as a result of the American loan, and will be followed by a conference of 15 nations- with the task of planning for an international trade conference under the United Nations’ Social and Economic Council, which has now been postponed until the end of 1947. The Empire Ministers, who will resume their talks on May 20, will deal with Imperial preference in general terms, leaving detailed discussions to the Dominion Conference.

“Facing a steel shortage of at least 500,000 tons a year, South Africa is building a new steel works on the Vaal River, 30 miles from Johannesburg,” says the Associated Press correspondent. “British and American steel prices have risen far above those for the South African product.”