The Ministry of Supply controls the stocks and the prices of all essential industrial raw materials, and the accumulated stocks of these materials in this country on the outbreak of war have been transferred to the Ministry. The tasks of the Ministry of Supply in order of priority are—to equip the Services, to mobilize and organize production, to provide ample reserves, to increase the rate of production, to organize the use and distribution of-raw materials in such way as to keep the life of the nation going and to maintain the export trade.
Profiting by the experience of the last war, the Mi of Supply has been able to begin at the point where the Ministry of Munitions left off in 1918. At the beginning of the Defence Programme there were four rational ordnance factories: Eighteer: were put in hand since then and six more since the beginning of the wat twenty-eight in all. At present over 70 firms other than normal factories are making shells, including those making components over 700 factories are engaged on munition work, The number is growing daily. 9,000 firms fave had their premise and equipment surveyed and, a available for the production munitions, ete. when required.
Since the beginning of September the Ministry of Supply has placed over £100,000,000 worth of orders for munitions and war equipment, of new factories is In such important industries as engineering and ship-building it is recognized that it is necessary to use the skilled men to the greatest advantage and to confine them to key operations. In the engineering industry the skilled trade unions have voluntarily agreed to allow less' skilled men to take their places on work which has so far been carried out only by skilled workers and have thereby greatly increased the potential capacity of the industry, Similar discussions are taking place" in the shipbuilding and other industries, Such voluntary agreements are preferred in Great Britain to State compulsion because the rights of the various classes of workpeople which have been created by years of effort are safeguarded.
Through joint committees of employers' organizations and trade unions in various industries the resources of the industries are being mobilized to enable the maximum production to be effected and to expand the production as required. Through committees upon which trade unions are represented raw material is to be allocated and the price controlled. Arrangements are being made for the Government Departments, to have the advice of trade union representatives and to enable the workpeople equally with the employers to bring their experience and knowledge to bear on the organization of production.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.