Committee To Guide Drive

Northern Advocate, 13 September 1947, Page 5

Committee To Guide Drive

Sir Stafford announced that the committee under Mr Harold Wilson, representing all production departments, the Treasury, the Foreign Office, the Planning Secretariat, and the Commonwealth Relations and Colonial Offices, would guide the new export drive. /

The Government proposed, at all stages, to consult industry, in the belief that the objective could be achieved only by the closest association and integration of the whole team of administration, employers, managers and workers, “The fullest consultation between workers and .management is fundamental to success,” he said.

“I trust every management in the country will fully consult the workers, so as to carry through our programme, not only for exports, but also for production for the home market." The home market might temporarily have to suffer many shortages, but the speed with which Britain increased production would determine how long the temporary shortages would last. Considerably increased production could be obtained, even with existing labour and capacity, by adopting modern and efficient methods of layout and deployment of labour, also by the

abolition of restrictive practices of all kinds.

The most important materials concerned in the export drive were coal and steel.

“However much supplies of coal fall short' of total requirements, it is vital that sufficient should be provided for the main export industries, to enable them to achieve their task, even if this means that we go short somewhere else,” he said.

Industry required 25,250,000 tons of coal for the six winter months. An extra million tons of steel were needed a year, and would come mainly from savings in home consumption. With an estimated production of 14,000,000 tons next year, economies in home use should leave all the steel necessary for exports. Special attention would be paid to the packing of materials, and containers.

Managements and workers had to see that the strictest economy was exercised in paint and packaging, and also in the use of fuel and electric power. The Government proposed to introduce industrial conscription, only as a last resort, but might, in certain circumstances, use direction to implement

control of engagements in order to stop a drain of labour into less necessary industries. “Every month that we fail to achieve the programme brings us nearer the point where we will have to make even more drastic cuts in imports and foodstuffs —since there is nothing else left to cut.” Sir Stafford said.

“Urgency, therefore, is the keynote of our task. “I have not concealed the difficulties. “I realise the inconveniences and possible dislocations. “No plan to achieve our programmes will be any good unless we have the will to make them succeed, and unless we can provide goods of quality and price to enable us to dispose of them in the markets from which we must get the most urgently-needed supplies. “We primarily rely upon all those working in the great basic industries, particularly coal, steel, power and transport. If they let the country down and fail in their targets, we shall all inevitably fail. “If they can assure us of essential commodities, it will be up to the manufacturing industries to finish the job. “Each one of us must put the country’s interest first and his own personal interest a bad second.”