EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS

Northern Advocate, 4 February 1928, Page 13

EXHAUSTIVE ANALYSIS

■BRITAIN - S INI)USTRIAE Y UTURE

LIBERAL JUDGMENT. (Received 2.35 pan.) , LONDON, February 2. The report of the Liberal inquiry into Britain’s industrial future, from which the Liberals hope that much will result, is an exhaustive volume of 503 pages, covering the entire economic field. The authors are Liberal leaders, also business men and Trades Unionists, under the auspices of the Summer School Committeb, in collaboration with Mr Lloyd George. The report opposes direct state trading. It favours the development of public boards of control of utilities, particularly electricity. It advocates that large-scale, semi-mono-j polistic, private concerns and public companies, controlling more than half the product within Britain, should be registered and subjected to stringent inspection by the Board of Trade.

National savings should be employed to develop transport facilities, public utilities, housing and agricultural equipment, a board of national in- \ vestment taking over the functions of the National Debt Commissioner. An economic general staff should be established, associated with Cabinet

and economic departments, to study problems and co-ordinate in - tire formation and plans for stabilisation measures. The, report suggests a measure to improve training education, to develop marketing methods, to extend profit-sharing, to avoid wage disparities and to enforce a minimum wage in . each, industry.

It says: “After careful study of Australian and New Zealand experiments, compulsory arbitration cannot be recommended for adoption in England, because it is a reversal of the voluntary policy of the Industrial Court. It is also impossible to. define the principles governing wage levels and to enforce non acceptable decisions on powerful organisations.’ * , The report, dealing with preference, savs: “Any large scheme of duties meeting the dominions’ requirements would make the Empire burdensome to the poor classes of Britain and cause impoverishment, preventing her doing what she now can for Imperial development. The system would be mutual only regarding the, dominions. It is not applicable to India and not enforceable in the Crown Colonies or Protectorates, for which it - is impracticable and likely to be more harmful than beneficial,”—A. and N.Z,