SPEEDING UP INDUSTRY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 89, 16 April 1938, Page 9

SPEEDING UP INDUSTRY

DEFENCE PROGRAMME

MINISTER'S STATEMENT

[ British Official Wireless. ] RUGBY, April 13.

The Minister for Co-ordination oi Defence, Sir Thomas linskip, referring in the House of Commons to his conference with representatives of employers and trade unions in the engineering industry at which he informed them of the Government’s desire to accelerate the completion of the defence programme with their cooperation, said he had made it cleai that the methods to be adopted Lo accelerate engineering production were matters to be discussed by the industry itself. He had emphasised, in accordance with the statement made by lhe Prime Minister, that it was not for the Government to try to dictate to the industry the detailed action that would be necessary. It was in accordance with Britisn tradition, he said, that great industries themselves should, through their joint machinery, work out details in the manner likely to be most effective. He understood it had not yet been possible for discussions to be commenced, but he was confident that the procedure he had suggested would be seen by those concerned lo be the best fitted to meet the national requirements of the defence programme with true regard for the interests of all those engaged in the industry.

Sir Thomas Inskip also denied that the unions had asked for a guarantee in connection with foreign policy or any other matter.