BRITISH BUSINESS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 128, 26 November 1929, Page 12

BRITISH BUSINESS

SOME STUEDY ADVICE

FIRST,LORD OF ADMIRALTY

(From "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, 20th September.

Mr. A. V.. Alexander, M.P., First L.or.d.of, the.. Admiralty, has been giving some advice to business men. The occasion was the inaugural luncheon of the Shipping, Engineering, and Machinery Exhibition, in London. He was praoposing "Success to theExhibi-

tion."

"While it is perfectly right to say to the mass .of British work-people that only work and loyalty will ultimately pull us through," he said, "we have the right to" say that to the leader of industry as well. We want as much loyalty, and work at the head of an .'establishment as you require from the lowest-paid -worker." Another criticism made was in regard to the observance of week-ends. "There is," said Mr. Alexander, "too much a tendency to lengthen the.weekend. In a board room I have had to listen not to business, but to the delights of the previous fortnight. I gathered that about three days of the six were spent by the directors not in the board room, but in having a very good time. Ido not say that that is typical of the whole of British industry. But we should recognise • that work and loyalty are the duty of all classes, and not one only." The Government, said Mr. Alexander, were concerned to see that every branch of industry should have every possible sympathy and help. He-felt concerned during his trip round the Empire because British industry had not quite the Government publicity that it should have.

"There is," proceeded Mr. Alexander, "a continuous criticism levelled at leaders of British industry—l do not say it is always justified—that -we are somewhat superior about our business; that we are inclined to think that our customers should take what we want them to take. On the other hand, many growing industrial nations go to customers and say: 'Tell us what you want and we will produce exactly what you want.'"

ENGLISH RELIABILITY.

What he had said about British industry he had said in the best spirit. (Cheers.) There was about the Labour forces'as well as about the capitalist forces: of this, country E omethmg which could be summed up in the words "reliability" and "endurance." What a tribute it was to British engineering that an old veteran like the Mauretania, a ship over 20 years old, should put up Buch a challenge to the Bremen. (Cheers.) British engineering did not produce something which was a flash in the pan at trials, but something. which was going to deliver the goods for years to British customers. (Cheers.) Mr. Alexander referred to the interest taken by the Admiralty in experiments_in the use of powdered coal for warships. Real progress was being made in this direction.

Mr. Walter Leitch (Agent-General for. Victoria) also urged that British manufacturers must study the requirements of their customers. "It is," he said, "of no use sitting in your office and printing elaborate catalogues saying: 'These are our' machines; there are no1 finer machines, and these are the machines yon have to ■buy/ You must send out. experts who can talk to the customer and who know about the customer's business as much as he knows himself. You cannot realise what a customer wants 13,000 miles away." ■

Councillor A: B. Wales, the Mayor of Hove, is to lay the foundation-stone of a new ice-skating rink at Hove. It is one of a group to be established throughout the country, and is to cost over £70,000.

The British Ministry of Health has sanctioned the construction of the new bathing pool at Brighton, which, it is estimated, will cost £175,000. The bath, which is to be built between the Palace Pier and the Banjo Groyne, will be the largest openair swimming pool in the kingdom, an the area of the water will be nearly an acre. There will be separate dressing boxes for 248 men and 246 women, and the promenade round the pool will accommodate nearly. 10,000 spectators.