CLOSING YARDS

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1930, Page 7

CLOSING YARDS

FUTURE OF EMPLOYEES SHIPBUILDING NATIONALISED CONFERENCE ON INDUSTRY PROCESS OF WEEDING OUT MORE WORK LATER HOPED i By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

Rec. 9.25 p.m. London, Sept.. 11. A conference of employers and workers in the shipbuilding industry has been summoned to consider tfie position created by the rationalising operations of National Shipbuilders’ Security, Limited. The question of the future of displaced workers has been raised by a prospect of the abandonment at the end of the year of Beardmore’s shipbuilding yard at Dalmuir, in which the staff at present is only 500 though 6000 were employed during the war. Negotiations have been advanced for the closing of another yard on the west coast of Scotland and one on the east coast of England. A similar process of weeding out is being pursued in other industries. It is argued that although this may involve some unemployment and hardship at present it will lead to extended employment when efficiency and elimination of waste have promoted increased productivity. ECONOMICAL WORKING SOUGHT. “CONCENTRATION IMPERATIVE.” More economical working through concentrated production, financial assistance to shipbuilders and the elimination of redundant and obsolete yards are among the avowed objects of National Shipbuilders’ Security,' Limited, which was registered in February with a nominal capital of £lO,OOO, with power to borrow up to £3,000,060. The promoters pointed out that consolidation had been in progress steadily for two years, but further concentration was imperative. Warship-building, which before the war had represented 25 per cent, of the total tonnage, had become a mere seventh. Britain maintained supremacy in jthe industry, but rationalisation was necessary to place the industry perman-, ently on a sound basis.