The march of the men of Jarrow to London to place their case personally before the Government i one sign of growing discontent with the Government's treatment of the "dis-rossed areas." Another sign is the unfortunate atmosphere created in South Wales where, on the eve of King's visit, two Labour MP's have Ceclined to' participate in ceremonies marking the visit, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, Chancellor of the Exchequer, i has announced that' the Government for has cepted, in principle, the sugges-on that new industries be established in these areas and this probably the only feast Although there is a general tendency to ascribe fo political perverseness the reason for the little progress made in reabilitating these districts "suffering from the blight of trade and manufacturing decline, the problem is by 'nO means £0 simple to envisage. A vast change in Britain's industrial fabric caused by world conditions has created this unfortunate state of things, The coal industry has been entirely transformed and no longer represents one of Britain's chief ¢x-portable products. Nor is it likely to assume anything ike its former proportions. In the heavy Industries, the ow armament programme has injected fresh life but only into certain branches and a few million pounds of orders are not likely to do more than stimulate them to activity. Another change has been the development of new Industries which has created a drift of manufacturing activity from the north to the south, especially to the outskirts of London. There are 'a number of reasons for this drift but distribution is one of the principal Feasons, It is not a question of sup: plies of labour but of the economic ability to convert old establishments these new demands. The North of England is covered with derelict factories not worth while converting after years of inactivity, The Government's plan to introduce some of the new industries in this and other arcas should meet all objections and help to preserve this manufacturing reservoir for the nation,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.