BRITAIN LIVING BEYOND MEANS IN CRISIS

Grey River Argus, 9 November 1949, Page 5

BRITAIN LIVING BEYOND MEANS IN CRISIS

Anglican Archbishop Says Political Leaders Should Tell Public N.Z.P.A.—Rente.’. - . (Rec 9.45) LONDON, Nov 8* The Acrhbishop of York, Dr. Cyril Garbett, when he addressed the York Diocesean Conference of the Anglican Church, to-day, made a call for what he termed a non-Party declaration by political leaders on the facts of Britain’s economic crisis. He said that he warned the people of Britain that they were confronted with a crisis that was comparable with that in the months after the Dunkirk retreat. He urged that leaders of all of the political parties should “issue an agreed downright statement on the extreme gravity of the present position.” Dr. Garbett said that, when the people knew the stark realities oi the position, they would rise to the occasion. Britain, to-day,, was maintaining, he said, a high standard of living, though she was very much a poorer country than she had been in the past. She was drawing on her savings, and her reserves were getting very low, and she was using the Marshall Aid- from America which would end within two years. Unless there was a radical change, he said, Britain wou?d have no money to pay for her overseas food or raw materials, and the other nations would then be afraid to trade with her for fear, ‘‘that all they send us may be lost in a general crash, without any hope of repayment.”

He added.—“ The results of such a crash would be fewer things to buy; higher prices, and cut rations. Industries would be compelled to close down for a lack of raw materials, with resultant unemployment. Our position as a great world Power would go.” Dr. Garbett said that the State was now trying to avoid bankruptcy by cutting its imports; inreeasing its exports, and reducing its expenditure ‘ However,” he added, “I am sure that the Government will not obtain the necessary support of the nation, as a whole, unless the extreme gravity of the crisis is brought home to all.. It is not yet clearly understood that this crisis affects every one of us. Unless it is solved within the next yetr or ti 7 0, tire mariner of life of every citizen may be disastrously changed, for the worse.” Controls Needed LONDON, November 6. "We are going to press on w'ith the nationalisation of steel,” the Minister of Health (Mr. Aneurin Bevan) toK a meeting at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire to-night. “Without complete control over steel, coal, and power, we cannot plan the survival of Britain, and nothing less than the survival of Britain is now at stake. “We say to the steel master that his ownership of the steel industry has as much relevance to the modern world as the bow and arrow has to modern warfare.” Co-operation Urged LONDON, November 6. The co-operation of private management, was essential to the success of Britain’s production effort, said the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour (Mr. Ness Edwards) at a meeting in Rhymney Valley, Glamorgan, to-night. “We cannot spit at the managements on Sunday and effectively plead for co-operation on Monday,” Mr. Edwards said. It must be recognised that 80 per cent, of industry was in the hands of private enterprise. He added: “We must discard the old habit of attacking successful, efficient industrial management and confine our displeasure to those w'ho fail to make the grade. It is those w'ho fail to make the grade that are holding back the nation.” Film Competition Hits British Industry LONDON, Nov 7. Mr J. Arthur Rank, the millionaire controller of three-quarters of Britain’s film industry, said financial losses had been so heavy that British film production might have to cease altogether, after next June, unless the entertainment tax w r as reduced, or some other relief given. He announced drastic cuts in film production in the coming year and said that he would make only between six and 10 films in the six months ending next June. “For the moment, no plans are being made beyond that date,” he added. He said he and his wife had made a gift to the operating company of £649.000 and that he had put up more secuirty for a loan of £1,130,000 which he had guaranteed. He said that in the 556 picture theatres controlled by the Rank group the public paid £27,500,000 in admission during the year. Of this £10,500,000 was entertainment tax. Mr Rank said: “It can now be seeh that our plans to meet an unexepected critical situation were too ambitious, that we made demands, on the creative talent in the industry that are beyond its resources, and that as a result, w'e spread our pi oduction capacity, in which I still have unshaken faith, too thinly over the films we made.” Mr Rank said that many films made were not of a quality to ensure even reasonable returns.

DISCUSSIONS WITH AMERICANS Mr Rank said his organisation was discussing with a number of Ameriman companies the possibility of producing a limited number of films, in the Rank studios in Britain by using their joint resources. He said that American advice and close co-opera-tion could influence the acceptability aim in the United States, win e ensuring that Jie film be fundament-

ally British in conception. -Mr Rank said that relations, with the American film industry had improved. There was an increasing realisation on both sides that if either was to be successful there must be friendly rivalry and not bitter animosity. Mr Rank told shareholders of Odeon Theatres Ltd., and subsidiary companies, that the Rank companies lost £3,350,000 on film production in the financial year ended. June 25, ■>949. At that date, he said, the bank overdrafts on his film empireonce worth £66 000,000—had risen to £16,300,000, from £13,000, r OO.