High Quality, Low Price Essential

Northern Advocate, 13 September 1947, Page 5

High Quality, Low Price Essential

The general principle was to have the fuel, power and raw materials to enable the country to reach the export target, and to divide what was left in the best way to improve Britain's own production of foodstuffs, raw materials and manufactured goods.

Dealing with foreign markets. Sir Stafford said:

“Firstly, it is of the utmost importance that as much as possible of the extra exports should go to hard-cur-rency markets, especially those in the Western Hemisphere.

“Secondly, if we are to make the best use of our resources' in negotiations with other countries, it will be necessary to introduce more detailed direction of exports of certain essential goods. , \

“Here our principle is to use exports to obtain the immediate supplies we need from abroad.

“We must direct exports to those countries from which we must draw our major supplies. “The situation is so urgent that the possibility of compulsion must remain.

“We do not want to embark upon a complex system of licensing exports. “We would rather rely upon general control by agreement.

“We feel sure, except in a minimum of cases, that we shall get the necessary help and cooperation from industry. “I emphasise that the export task must be performed.” While people were vociferously crying for direction and compulsion it must be remembered that disgruntled managements or workers were not generally the best producers. It was also obvious, if Britain was to reach the export target, that components and manufactured parts must be available for exports, and not for home manufacturers. It was thus necessary to rely upon the goodwill and cooperation of manufacturers in the direction of such components to ensure that no exports were lost.

It would be necessary to encourage private enterprise to increase the manufacturing capacity of certain profitable lines of exports, but the Government would undertake this function if private firms did not give a willing response.

Such increases would probably mean the curtailing of less useful -types of production to free the required labour and materials. Therefore some dislocation of industry could be expected from this adjustment. It was fortunate that Britain had a high reputation for the quality of her manufactured goods ; despite the fact that some careless or get-rich-quick exporters had jeopardised that reputation in post-war years by sending inferior, shoddy and badly-finished goods abroad. “That must cease,” he said.

“It is up to industrialists themselves to see that aU exporters maintain a reasonably high standard, so as not to sully our justly-acquired fame for quality.

“But, in addition to quality, we must have modern, up-to-date design and finish to our goods.” Price was a cardinal factor in Britain’s ability to accomplish the export task.

Therefore every device of greater efficiency to reduce manufacturing costs would be necessary in the production of foodstuffs, raw materials and manufactured goods.