FUTURE OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20335, 6 February 1936, Page 9

FUTURE OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY

MEETING JAPANESE COMPETITION LABOUR OPPOSITION TO RATIONALISATION British Official Wireless (Received February 5, 5.5 p.m.) RUGBY, February 4. The principal business at to-day’s sitting of the House of Commons will be the second reading of the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill, the object of which is to provide for the elimination of 10,000,000 redundant spindles in Lancashire. In spite of considerable opposition a substantial majority is anticipated. “GIVE LANCASHIRE AN EVEN CHANCE” PLEA FOR IMPROVED METHODS United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received February 5, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, February 4. That Japan is beating Lancashire in the cotton industry was the theme of an outspoken speech in the House of Commons by Sir Walter Preston on the second reading of the Cotton Spinning Industry Bill. He said it was an undoubted fact that foreign competitors, Japan particularly, had far more modern and more efficient machinery than Lancashire. Japanese business was growing, while ours was steadily sinking. Sir Walter Preston added that if Lancashire were given the same machinery as Japan was using, and worked on mass production lines with a more modern marketing organisation, the Lancashire operatives, who are more efficient, could beat Japan in the whole of the Empire markets. Several Lancashire mills had been reequipped recently and Lancashire would be able shortly to publish world wide the fact that it could compete. He then anticipated an inflow of capital, which would re-equip the greater part of the mills. Lancashire would then be in a position to win back part, if not the whole of the markets lost to Japan. Labour’s Hostility. Mr J. R. Clynes (Labour), in moving the rejection of the Bill, said that the Trade Unions were hostile because of the lack of consideration for the position of the displaced operatives, also they objected to scrapping machinery which there might be a chance to utilise in future years.