BRITISH SHIPBUILDING.

Thames Star, Volume LIX, Issue 16625, 22 October 1925, Page 5

BRITISH SHIPBUILDING.

KILLING INDUSTRY. Wishing success to the new Anchoi liner Transylvania after her official trials on ithe Firth of Clyde recently Sir Alexander Kennedy,' chairman o 1 the Fairfield Shipbuilding Company Glasgow, from whose yard the steamei wag launched, said the outlook foi shipbuilding for the coming wintei was worse than it had been at anj time during the last four years. He doubted whether those in responsible authority had an appreciation of the extent to which industria interests were being sacrificed and prejudiced by a policy of extravag<anl public expenditure. Bad as had been the national misfortune in having no leader with th« foresight to see that the disparity between public or pther sheltered occupations and industrial employment must be tackled, there fell to be added to that .misfortune the risk that industry might lose its nerve and in turr fall back upon a policy of assistance. The application of ,the steel-making industry for -a. measure of protection for example, was a symptom of the despair of industrial self-help. Betweef State protection of one staple jndustrj and State subsidy for another we wer« on the verge of catastrophe. We were muddling through to worst times, and could not hope to regair our old world position in trade anc commercp unless A’e ceased to fina.net great social schemes as if we wert prosperous, and to make unemployment appear to be. as comfortable ant inviting as employment.