WOOL TEXTILE INDUSTRY

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 18

WOOL TEXTILE INDUSTRY

N ATI ON A L SC H E ME. LONDON, July 6. A committee representing all Labour interests has been engaged in formulating a scheme for the nationalisation of the wool textile industry. Its report suggests that the principal raw inatci-i.il would be purchased by the State. The Government’s buyers would enter the world’s markets and purchase the industry’s requirements. Private trading would ho forbidden. The (state would arrange for transport, freight, storage, and distribution, and would take power to acquire the industry, but would not, fully exercise it immediately. It would control the profits of the sections of the trade not publicly owned, and would exercise such

other control necessary’ to efficiency in the working of the acquired firms. "The report provides for a Ministry of Wool and Textiles. The Manchester Guardian, commenting on the Parliamenary Labour Party, the Trade Union Congress, and the Co-opera-tive Unions’ wool trade nationalisation scheme, says that there are special reasons for the public ownership of mines and railways, but even these should bo dissociated as far as possible from State management. That the wool trade proposal should be made after the last seven years’ experience, shows how men cling to a phrase. The war has changed much, and has killed State socialism. July 8. The Yorkshire Post says that the textile employers regard the nationalisation scheme as an unreasonable joke.