Evening star., 1948-11-21
British MAY
Install Mass
Production
Working Groups Will
Visit L. S. to See
How It's Done
By Ed L. Campbell

-Britain's most impor-
tant import from America In 1s4e
won't cost her dollar.
It will be the secret Of United
States high -geared production.
To get it, probably thousand
Rritons, from the overalled me-
chanic in the shop to the morning.
coated executive in the front office,
will Journey to the States in small
working parties.
They will meet their opposite
numbers in American plants and
seek to absorb through personal
experience and observation knowl-
edge and ideas that can be adapted
to the techniques of manufacturing
on this side of the Atlantic.
Arrangements are being made by
the Anglo American Council on
Productivity, formed at the request
of Chancellor Of the Exchequer Sir
Stafford Cripps.
Two Reasons for Low Output
First, the council made a series
of quick inspections of plants giving
A cross section of British industry
best to worst 1t concluded Brit
aims best Is equal to Americas best,
but that on the other end Of the
scale. standards are very poor, so
that, overall, British production
compares unfavorably.
Sending British ENJOYS to America
to learn it's secret" is just one
of several steps recommended. Al
most as much stress is laid on the
need for Britons to exchange infor-
nation among themselves. Some
low production plants need only to
look next door to learn how to i'm
prove.
1t was agreed the two principal
causes OF low production here are
rundown plants, due largely to the
war and to postwar shortages, and
the psychological attitude Of both
labor and management.
Not only is the actual msnufac-
turing plant in bad shape but there
is such a power shortage as to cause
doubt whether completely retooled
plants could be supplied.
The council discovered twice as
much power Is available per employe
in the United States as in Britain.
So, even II the British put forth
twice as much muscular effort as
Americans they cannot get as much
done.
On the psychological side, the
council decided both labor and man.
agement are at fault.
Management here has gone too
strong for cartels and monopolies.
These have built up price fixing and
production control arrangements.
The Americans stress-but have not
yet won British acceptance Of,
their view that vigorous competi-
tion exerts an important and bene-
fetal effect upon national produc-
tivity"
Fear Unemployment
Labor's restrictive practices large
ly are born of fear Of unemploy-
ment. Most British workmen feel
that il they agree to increase pro-
duction to any material extent 1t
will mean fewer jobs for themselves
and therefore general lowering of
working-class income.
The council, like the British gov
ernment itself, is trying to sell the
idea that increased productivity
leads to rising standard of living.
On this point, the Americans
found that leaders OF the powerful
Trades Union Congress British
equivalent OF combined AFL-CIO)
agreed.
Can TUG get the rank and file to
agree likewise?
It is going to try even If 1t means
a big blowup within its own or
saniza ton.
IOSS SSllcI dl CouilCll, III tIC
wake Of the productivity recon-
mendations, called upon local union
leaders to approve production
drive aimed directly at this job
preservation fixation.
First of all, the unions are asked
to undertake large-scale transfer OF
workers from nonessential or less
essential jobs to the nations under
manned essential industries. Chief
of these is textiles
Although the government has the
power to direct labor, it Is loath to
Use 1t. II the unions themselves can
shoulder the burden, it will go a
long way toward boosting produc-
ton where it is most needed.
TUG, with the traditional British
gift for understatement, acknowl.
edges it is advocating measures
which may not be universally
popular"