Such extensions of plant are particularly necessary in engineering, shipbuilding and allied trades, The problem of transport, calls for urgent attention if the accumulation of goods and materials at ports, warehouses, docks, etc. is to be avoided, Britain today is an armed camp in which, because of the continued threat of invasion, a large army has io be kept almost immobilized with the result that a rigid Army timetable often prevents the fullest use of whatever transport would otherwise be available, Among the outstanding needs is one for more road vehicles, more maintenance facilities and more workers; and this could be supported by illustrations from other branches of transport, Collieries have been closed down at the same time as consumers in other parts of the country have lacked coal, mainly because of transport difficulties.
Firms hitherto engaged in trades considered non-essential from the point of view of war production have resources in manpower, capital equipment, business organization, etc, which could be utilized more fully, Hitherto, Government policy has been to' starve them out of their peacetime activities and to leave to the individuals concerned the task of finding new means of livelihood.
Data on this very important but complicated issue are not available but it requires little imagination to realize what an upheaval has been caused in the life of the small manufacturer, retailer, etc, perhaps as much by Government" policy as by German bombing, And the post-war problems which are implicit in this matter will demand very comprehensive solutions, Reducing Wartime Consumption The meed for reducing to a minimum the production during wartime jot consumption goods, not only on grounds of expense but also in order to relieve shipping space, is also affecting the turnover of a large number of manufacturers and retailers, Particularly those engaged in luxury and semi-luxury goods will be most badly hit, Hitherto such consumption goods as tobacco, beer, etc, have been less curtailed than many others, but even though they are good revenue producers other reasons may lead to greater restriction in the near future,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.