The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1941-10-09

Wiping out Of international competi |
tion," he asked, "than the building up
Of economic standards throughout the
world? What has any nation to worry
about when another nation raises its
standard Of living?
"Why do people buy sweated
goods? Because they cannot afford to
buy the best The whole drive at
the end Of this great struggle must
be towards raising the standard Of
life, raising civilization, spreading it,
creating desires and then satisfying
them. That is the way to create trade
markets"
In this war the great creative
ability of the people has been let
loose, and at the end Of it, Bevin said,
there may be great renaissance
bringing into existence a society free
from snobbery at one end and poverty
at the other.
"The birth of a higher and nobler
civilization may be some compensa-
tion for the horrible struggle-for the
bitterness and loss Of life that Hitler
has imposed upon u.s."
Industries Steadily Transformed
The basic British Industries are be-
ing steadily transformed, almost
without knowing it, into national serv-
ice organizations. The instrument by
which this transformation is being ac
complished is the Essential Work
Order.
1t has already been applied to the
coal mining industry, to port and dock
labor, to the iron and steel trades, to
the chemical industry and several
others. The latest industry to be
brought within the scope of the es-
sential work scheme is the building
trade group. This is how it works.
On September / this year every
building and civil engineering firm in
the country, from the smallest con-
cern doing repairs and decorations to
cottages and farm houses in rural
areas to the largest contractors, were
registered-at least $4,000 and per-
haps as many as $4,000 firms. Those
that have not registered will not be
allowed to carry on business after
October /.
By the act of registration the Min
istry Of Works and Buildings is put
into possession of all the facts re-
lating to the building trades-the
number of firms, the type of work
they undertake, how many workers
they employ, what equipment they
use, and how much work they did in
a particular month.
Speedy Operation in Emergencies
On the basis of this information
the Ministry is proceeding to group
the building trade concerns regionally.
1t will lay down the conditions and
terms of employment upon which the
trade will operate in every kind of
emergency work, including govern
ment contracts and national building
enterprises. To all intents and pur-
poses, the Ministry will henceforth
control the activities of every build
ing concern, and private enterprise
will be a steadily diminishing factor
in their calculations.
The prime object, of course, is to
mobilize all the resources of the build
ing trades in manpower and equip
, ment for emergency rebuilding and
repairs arising out of air attacks.
There is, however, a longrange
: purpose. The Ministry of Works and
! Buildings will plan the postwar re-
construction of Britain. This longer
aim explains other very interesting
developments in the work of this Min
istry.
/ There is, for instance, the appoint
ment of a considerable number OF
practicing architects, chartered sur
] veyors, estate agents and other pro-
: fessional men.
Their functions are primarily to ad-
5 wise the War Damage Commission or
: technical matters arising under the
t War Damage Act. Sixteen such ap-
pointments have been made after con-
l sultaton with appropriate bodies
l such as r. |. B. A. Through their
cooperation, the government is as
sured of the counsel and help of pro-
= feSsional men of the highest stand
= ing.
/ Under the essential work scheme
: measures are being taken to promote
the utmost mobility of labor required
- for emergency work.
t To provide a regular and mobile
5 labor force for work at docks ano
2 ports, the Ministry of Labor has been
. in consultation with representatives OF
2 the dock industry-both employers
| and unions. As a result, proposals OF
f a novel and far-reaching kind are now
I coming into operation.
1t has been decided to set up, under
Y the supervision of the National Joint
: Council, a corporation to be known
= as the National Dock Labor Corpora
ton.
. This body, new in form and func
: tions to British industry, will finance
t organize and administer port schemes
0 based upon the registration Of botf
/ port employers and workers. 1t vii
: also establish machinery for the
S transfer of lockers from one port tc