Building Activity Aids Recovery of British Business

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 46, 25 February 1936, Page 10

Building Activity Aids Recovery of British Business

LONDON. —The federation of British Industries, a nationwide organization here representing manufacture and linance in a cautious survey, issued on November Z, of current business prospects in Britain, gives first place to activity in the buiiuing and armament trades as factors in the improvement that has taken place in the volume of production at dome.

The extent to w'iiioh the armament trade will continue to exercise the influence attributed it by this authority is generally held to be dependent upon the course of foreign affairs. Ligni upon the prospects of the building trade has ueen recently afforded by Sir George Bchuster, an ex-economic adviser of the British Government.

Writing in the ‘‘Nineteenth Century," a monthly London magazine, yir George says: "The realized facts are that within a period of less than four years about 1,UU0,000 houses had been completed, and that construction is proceeding at the rate of about 330,QUO houses per annum. At this rate the whole of tho Registrar General’s estimate" (of Britain's housing needsj “will have been completed in 1937." Sir George goes on to point out that when this has occurred, house construction in Britain may well be reduced to maintenance and renewml proportions which he estimates at about 1)0,000 dwellings annually. “Such a drop," he says, “would mean a tremendous displacement of labour, on a scale, indeed, sufficient to upset the whole bassis of present recovery. " In this fact Sir George sees a reason for postponing any big government expansion of expenditure on other public works, so that when the time comes for them to be taken in hand their initiation may coincide with tho call likely to arise two years hence for enhanced employment in such enterprises. This consideration, it is understood, has been taken into account by the British Government in its decision, announced November 2 by Mr. Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to embark upon a £IOO,000,000 programme or road improvepent to be completed within five years.

Pass Along!

Two men in a car went past the automatic signals and were stopped by a constable.

“I’m sorry," said the driver, quickwittedly, “but I happen to be a doctor and I’m taking a patient .to tho asylum in a hurry." The officer was suspicious, and looked penetratingly at the passenger. But tho latter was also quickwitted and, looked up at tho constable with a seraphic smile, whispered: “Kiss me, darling!" They got away with it.