BRITAIN'S INDUSTRIAL POSITION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 173, 19 August 1919, Page 6

BRITAIN'S INDUSTRIAL POSITION

MR LLOYD GEORGE’S SPEECH.

(By Electric Telegraph-Copyright) i ’Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Rec. Aug. 19, 1.45 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 18. The Premier, in the House of Commons, dealt with the country’s industrial position. He complained that some people expected industry and production tio become normal asi soon as the war was over. These failed t<> realise the magnitude of the last five year’s disturbance. The aggregate direct cost of She war to the world was 40,000 millions. How could the world return to normal conditions immediately that expenditure was over? It would take ■just as long to adapt the machinery and the workshops of the country to peace taste as it took to turn them Ro war purposes. Mr Lloyd George said tte koveniment accepted the policy of tlic S <i < purchase of mineral rights m n>al. bin. was unabl t 0 accpt Mr Justice Sankey s scheme for the State purchase of imnes. The Premier mentioned mat amou n (the paralysing elements of trade immediately before the War ended < the fact that, contractors wer e shy ot orders, owing (to rising prices ot minerals, of which there was a shortage, also a shortage of labour and transport difficulties. However, there were now 3,500,000 men demobilised, ot whom only 350.000 had not been absorbed industrially, fo that cont'aotors could safely ■"incli out without the ice caching under them.