JAPAN BEATING LANCASHIRE

Northern Advocate, 6 February 1936, Page 3

JAPAN BEATING LANCASHIRE

MORE MODERN MACHINERY NEEDED

(Received 10 a.m.)

LONDON, February 4

“Japan is beating the Lancashire cotton industry,” was the theme of an outspoken speech in the House of Commons by Sir Walter Preston (Con., Cheltenham) on the 'second reading of the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill. He said it was an undoubted fact that foreign competitors, Japan particularly, had far more modren and more efficient machinery than had Lancashire. Japanese business was growing while Lancashire’s was steadily sinking. Sir Walter added that if Lancashire were given the same machinery that Japan was using and worked on mass production lines, with a more modern marketing organisation, Lancashire operatives, who were more efficient, could beat Japan in the whole of the Empire markets. Sveral Lancashire mills have been re-equipped recently. Lancashire would be able shortly to publish to the world the fact that it could compete. He then anticipated an inflow of capital which would re-equip the greater part of the mills.

Lancashire would then be in a position to win back part, if not the whole, of the markets lost to Japan. Mr J. E. Clynes (Lab.), moving the bill’s rejection, said the trade unions were hostile to it because of its lack of consideration for the position of displaced operatives, and also objected to the scrapping of machinery which might chance to be utilised in future years. _______