ECONOMIC LAW

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 15 October 1921, Page 9

ECONOMIC LAW

EFFECT OF LABOUR TROUBLES

YARROW YARD' CLOSED

, v LONDON, Aug. 24, Industrial and Vecomonic difficulties associated with the, building ot snips at the present time have led to a decision by the important firm of Yarrow and Co., Ltd., to close down their works ■at Scotstoun, -Glasgow, at the end of November. The following notice was posted in their works a few days ago:— ' '-'Owing to repeated strikes, reduction of and demarcation disputes which.-: have taken place in various industries throughout the country, the coft/tff shipbuilding has become excessive^ in addition to which it is impossible to promise dates of delivery.. With th^jgreittest regret we have, therefore, decided.'.to temporarily close our works, with; "the; exception of our experimental andresearch department, on or about the 30th of November. We shall reojjen when conditions enable business to be;, carried on with some chance of BUoce§s.|We give this early notice of our decision; so that our employees 'may have- every opportunity to obtain work .elsewhere." ; The directors of the firm have communicated the following statement to the press: "After having distributed many millions of pounds in wages and built spm^vpfjthe fastest vessels afloat, it is I Tvith^gj-eat regret that we have arrived alb,i&^|bove decision. We have great fait Els the future of the shipbuilding ani|(engineering industries in this country^ and we believe that prosperity will return when everyone realises that commercial >can only be carried on with? success in accordance with economic laws. So soon as these laws are recognised it will enable us to reopen our works, and, as in the past, take some, share in, future progress. In the meantime we shall continue our experimental and research work, so that the valuable information to be obtained will be available when we resume our full activi]bieJß. IJi '..,'-.. "The'decision of Messrs. Yarrow to close their shipyard on the Clyde will be a shock to Glasgow/ says the Times, "and will excite general regret; but it will cause no surprise to persons conversant with the industrial situation, and, ; with shipbuilding in particular. What this exceptionally enterprising arid progressive firm has decided to do is to face the facts, and if their action brings home the realities of the present position to other persons it will have a bracing and beneficial effect. . . Nothing would discourage them or encourage our customers abroad as much as improvement in the relations of em"ptojers and employed; and if there is some improvement, as we believe there fe beginning to be, it is due to realisation of the facts. Messrs. Yarrows' action will stimulate that unpleasant but necessary process. This- firm is well known for its good treatment of workj men, and it will be noted that they say ! nothing about high wages. They attribute the position in. which they find tbemselevs to the repeated strikes, reduction of output, and demarcation disptis§s' in various industries throughout tno country, which' have made the cost of shipbuilding excessive. That, is the lesson of thip break in the career of I a great, enterprise."'