The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-10-11
ENGLISH INDUSTRY
SPEEDED UP

Washington, Oct. 1.-THE atten-
ton of English industry is focused on
speeding up production in order to
restore the balance of trade, and |
there are indications that England |
will be able to continue to manufac- |
ture many lines of goods more cheap |
ly than the United States, according |
To H. G.. Brock. acting assistant chief |
of the bureau of foreign and domestic |
commerce, who has just returned to
America after fifteen months resi-
commercial attache.
at is more or less of common
place to say that there is an awaken
ed interest in England as to the de-
STABILITY, indeed the necessity of an
increased export trade" Mr.. Brock
said. "The diminished production of
coal, in that country. however, cou-
pied with the recent decision to add
six shillings ton to the price have
served to especially focus the atten-
ton of Englishmen on the difficulties
of the export situation. In pre-war
years England's ability to export
coal had of course been an important
factor in the development of her for
eign trade.
cat the present time when the bal
apce of trade is so adverse to the
United Kingdom (at the present rate
it will amount to 980O,000,00 0this
year, the necessity of greatly increas-
| ing total exports is becoming more
and more apparent. No Englishman
has any excuse for not approaching
this fact because it has been dinned
into his ears consistently since the
news columns of the daily press and
IN numerous trade journals as well as
through the medium of the addresses
of public men this self-evident truth
has been emphasized and re1empha-
sized. 1t can be taken for granted
than that British commerce and in
dustry are awake to the needs of the
future. AS a part of this program
great deal of emphasis is being plac-
ed on the need for speeding up. pro-
duction and the point is made that this
is not merely an employers question
OF an employees question but a ma
|
must sink or swim together
SIN the matter of production Eng
land is probably better prepared to
make consistent and rapid progress
than any other belligerent European
country. For one thing the labor
scarcity due to the demands of the
war has been in large measure rem
edied. Out of the three services
army, navy and air-3,00O,0O0 men
have already been demobilized and
from this huge mass of able-bodied
men only about $4,000 have not yet
ben absorbed in industry. The con-
tinuation of the import restrictions on
numerous commoditions until Sep
J TENDER 1 gave the industries of the
country an opportunity to change
from war conditions to peace condi-
tions, and shielded industry during
J the period of rehabilitation. The
sc-called unstable key industries are
J still to be protected for an indefinite
time by the prohibition against the
importation of such goods under IL
cense by the Board of Trade.
Dumping is likewise to be provid-
ed against by suitable legislation and
the Board of Trade is to be equipped
with emergency powers to check a
sudden and undue importation of
goods at prices altogether below the
cost of production in the United King
dom, owing to the collapse of ex-
change. This last named measure is
aimed particularly at Germany where
the sovereign brings 81 marks as
against 20 before the war.
"The deprecated value of the SOW
Ell eign, which means that American
products imported into the United
Kingdom cost the importer consider
able more than when exchange is
normal, will likewise tend to slim
ulate British production in competing
lines. England can therefore now
ton in most industries and vigorous
efforts are certainly being made al
ready in this direction.
"Will England be able to manu-
facture many lines of goods more
cheaply than the United States in the
future as in the past? Some British
manufacturers with whom / have
talked are convinced that she will
others are equally pessimistic in THEN
views. So many factors influence the
situation on both sides of the Atlantic
that it is scarcely possible at this
time to prophesy with any degree OF
accuracy as to the ultimate answer
This much is certain, however; Eng
lish manufacturers unquestionably
have every incentive to attempt tc
accomplish this result. And Ameri
can foreign trade, if it is to maintain
a permanent place in the van Oh