STEEL INDUSTRY AS STATE ENTERPRISE

Grey River Argus, 10 September 1948, Page 2

STEEL INDUSTRY AS STATE ENTERPRISE

Nationalisation Bill Is Ready in Britain LONDON, Sept. 8 The draft of the Steel Nationalisation Bill has been completed, according to the political correspondent of the Evening News. The Government may present the Bill formally to Parliament during the special sessio nbeginning on September -L4. Speaking at the T.U.C. conference on a resolution urging immediate emergency measures to nationalise the steel industry, Mr J .Gardner, of me Amalgamated Union of Foundry Workers, who admitted being a Communist, said it would be a healthy thing tor the movement if emergency measures were used against British .monopolists. He added that there was no one in the Cabinet who was not conscious of the possibility of a slump soon in the industry. Exhortations for greater production could have little response so long as these doubts existed. ‘Mr F. W. Elms, seconding the motion, said that progress in the industry was impossible until it was taken out of the hands of private enterprise. , „ - Mr L. Evans, of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, moving an amendment, said if there was delay m expanding the industry’s capacity it was because equipment for plants was unootainaoie. ... , • Mr Evans said that criticism had been made by people, working a five-day week, of people in an industry wlio by working pre-war hours but increased the output by 750,00 b tons. _ s Mr J. Owen, of the Blast-furnace-men’s Union, seconding the amendment, said he believed the Government would carry out its pledge to nationalise the industry at the appropriate time. Interruptions, with some delegates booing and some applauding, marked the speech of Mr J. Mathews, ot the General and Municipal Workers Union, who supported the amendment. ~ Mr Mathews said: The three organisations who have supported the resolution said they are loyal Labour supporters. The significant fact is that all thi'ee are Communists. n Mr A. Callaghan, of the Blastfurnacemen’s Union, opposed the resolution on behalf of the General Council. He asked: Why should the steel industry be dea.lt with by new methods of nationalisation sucn •as never applied to coal or transport?”