Evening star., 1947-11-30

the right of every man to speak his
liberty of the press. These things ar
to preserve them. If now we are pre-
and freedoms which we hold so dear,
to submit to regulation and control,
II Is because we are determined
10 preserve these things for our
children.
We emerged from the war with
our people tired. large sections OF
our industry run down, unsuitable
for peace production or obsolescent,
with our financial resources greatly
impoverished, with one house in
every four damaged by enemy &C.
ton, with many of our factories de-
stroyed. But already our production
has been built up well in excess of
1898 figures.
Some say we are not working.
What nonsense!
Production Figures Cited
It is estimated that our general
level of production is up by 10 to 20
per cent above the prewar figure.
Yet the number of people engaged
In civilian production has increased
by less than per cent.
Take one or two examples: Agri-
cultural production up by rs per
cent, steel up by 81 per cent over
1888, chemicals up about the same;
shipbuilding 238 per cent Of 1898
tonnage, goods vehicles Is per cent
up, tractors treble, locomotives
double. On the other hand, unem-
ployment, always 20 grave = scourge
before, where now 1t exists at all is
temporary and transitional In char
scter, Its total volume under per
cent. The amount of time which
has been lost by strikes has been In
significant, about 1920 Of per cent
BY the middle OF this year we
have provided over 25O,0OO homes,
In addition to an enormous amount
Of war damage repairs. There are
another 250.000 actually under con-
struction at the moment. Side by
side with them, new factories are
going up, many of them in what
used to be the depressed areas, with
mass unemployment. About 5000
factory building schemes have been
approved.
Coal Most Important
We are fulfilling the program on
which the government was elected
to power, and we are placing certain
vital basic industries under the con-
troll Of public corporations repre-
senting the state. The coal indus
try Is the most important. We have
vast natural resources of coal, and
its proper production is the key to
our industrial prosperity. For q
long time the coal industry in our
country had been in bad way.
After the last war an independent
royal commission favored nationali-
zation but 1t was not then carried
out. Insufficient capital was spent
on modernization and mechaniza-
ton. There were too many small
uneconomic units-about 800 firms
concerned in the production of q
little over 100000 900 tons of coal
year
Miners drifted steadily away from
the pits to more attractive occupa-
tions-between the end of the 1914
1918 war and the end of the last
war, the number employed in the
pits had dropped from well over a
million to under 100000. We have
now established 4 National Coal
Board, composed Of nine men Of ma
tional reputation in the field Of min
ink. science, finance and admins
trstion and labor The board Is
engaged now In an extensive scheme
for reorganizing and co-ordinating
the industry and providing new
capital equipment. At the same time
We are doing all we can to recruit
labor to the industry. and whilst
the problem is 4 very dif1cult one
We have SO far met with q good
deal OF success.
Working Parties Set Up
Already our production is much
improved on that Of last year and
British coal mines are closer to pre-.
war output per manshift than any
other mines in Europe.
There is no question OF the So
eislization of all British industry.
On the contrary, when the program
is completed. about 20 per cent of
our industry will be under public
control, the rest In the hands Of
private enterprises. AS for the rest,
the government has done what 1t
can to improve the efficiency of
private industry. In the case of
shout 20 OF the major industries
cotton, pottery, boots and shoes. wool
AND 80 forth-we set up what we
called working committees
with representative Of both sides
Of the industry together with rep
resentatives Of the public.
It ia remarkable to find that the
reports OF these committees are all
presenting much of 4 common pat
tern. There must-they say-be
more inteeration in our different in
dustries, the elimination Of uneco-
nomic competition, more standard
izstion more modern equipment.
All the reports show a willingness
on the parts Of the industries con-
-