APPEAL TO THE NATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 278, 20 August 1919, Page 7

APPEAL TO THE NATION

MR. LLOYD GEORGE ON THE NEED FOR EFFORT INCREASED PRODUCTION IMPERATIVE (By Telegraph -Press Association-Copyright (Rec. August 19, 5.5 p.m.) London, August IS. Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr. Lloyd George dealt with tho country's industrial position. Ho complained tliat some people expected industry and production to bo normal as soon as the war was over, These people failed to realise the magnitude of the disturbances of the Inst five years. The aggregate direct cost' of the war to tho world was forty thousand millions. How eouul the wonM return to normal immediately with that expenditure to overtake? It would take just ns long to adapt tho machinery and workshops of the country to peace as it took to turn them to use for war! Among the paralysing elements that affected trade immediately 'before the war,, said the Prime Minister, was the fact that contractors were shy of orders, owing to tho rising prices of materials of which there was <i shortage, and ateo to the shortage of labour and transport difficulties. However, there vrero now over throe and a halt millious of men damobilised, of whom on'y 350,000 remained unabsolved into the industries, so that contractors could safely launch out without tho ice cracking under them. Mr. Lloyd C4eorge emphasised the fact that adverse balance of trade must be faced, because wo could not prosper without -recovering our international trade, indeed, without increasing it. Our adverse balance of trado before the war was one hundred and fifty million sterling. _ Now it' was eight hundred and fifty million. That chasm must be bridged, becnuso at bottom wa6 ruin. He reminded the House that' there had been an almost sensational decrease in output, which was now lees than over. In every . branch of production except agriculture wa wera spending more and producing less—Aus.-N.Z-.-CaWe Assn.