SPEECH A LITTLE ALARMING

Chronicle (Levin), 5 September 1947, Page 5

SPEECH A LITTLE ALARMING

Received Thursdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 4. A Times editorial says Mr. Ernest Bevin 's address was in its fashion, great speeeh. It was also more than a little alarming. His dramafic insistenet on the need for liarder work and larger output to preserve. the standard of life, no doubt struck home. The speeeh was alarming for its suggestion of the Government's vaulting view of what is still possible in terms of consumption and output in the coming ordeal. Ano poinl did Mr, Bevin say straightforwardlv that to release the resources to reinforee manufaeture for export.it will be necessarv to cut down still further for a time both eonsumptioii and investment which together niake up the standard of life. The implica tion that the eorner ean be turned without a further t'all in the standard of life of trade unionists, was just a sleight of speeeh. To return to mas« unemployment as a means of redistributing national manpower aecording to national needs, is as untliinkabh politically as a reversion to the oldei system of "work or want" which the growth of social services ended. But the challenge which has not yet been met is to find and apply a workable and acceptable alternative which will avoid the distortion and paralysis of the nation 's activities. Mr. Bevin poses a choice between the old goods of unemployment ana sturvation and the new tyranny oi direction. The choice is false. The. real choice is between the clumsy, oppressive instrument of direction and the kind of poiicy outlined in tlie eniployment white paper which, with, the aid of skilful budgeting and volun tarv disciple by both einplovers and trade unions, would foster and estabhst a flexible realistic structure of price.and wages ealeulated to attract the nation "s resources to the right work a: the right time. Thus Mr. Bevin's speeeh was, in some ways, a depressing diselosure oi tlie economic assuniptions jipon which the Government seems still to be working. Much of the speeeh, however, was sound commonsense whether the topic was the need for increased physica! energy, the ruinous folly of going oi. merely borrowing money, the necessit.x for European selfhelp and Gerrnai. economic unity, or the broad possibility of mutual aid in the Commonwealth Empire.