NATIONALISING MUNITION MANUFACTURE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1376, 20 March 1915, Page 4

NATIONALISING MUNITION MANUFACTURE.

MR LLOYD GEORGE’S APPEAL TO LABOUR. LIMITATION OF PROFITS FOR MAN U FAUTUREUS. MORE YORK AND NO STRIKES FROM LABOUR. LONDON, March 18. A national conference of Labour representatives jn tie- engineering, ship-building, coal-mining, end transport industries, summoned by Hi Govm,lent, met to discuss Hie Gov 1 As v-otprol qf war material factoric.i. -- ""i..a 'tec c s /or? Lunour officials was appointed an advisory committee to hie Government. Mr Balfour, Sir George Ask with. Sir A. Hcpwood, Sir George Gibbs, and ether officials representing the Admiralty, tho War Office, and tho Board of Trade, attended the conference. A GREAT APPEAL. Mr Lloyd George said: “Every country engaged found the expenditure on war .material in excess of any finticipationtc Tho General Staff in Franco met the difficulty by voluntarily organising the whole of the industries of tho country. Wc have additional difficulty in having to increase the per. sonnel of the annv tenfold, I ho duration of the war. and even the Allies’ successes depend on the increasing acceleration of our output of munitions, , , , , ~ ~ “Preparatory to last week s time was tho most tremendous concentration of artillery witnessed at any point during the war, and this not merely insured successes, but saved the Jives of British soldiers. Two French officers told me that tho concentration of fire at a particular spot enabled tlie achievement of the purpose with onetenth the loss of life that would otherwise have been required. Every month there is a delay in output may mean two or three months added to the war. . “Prior t° the organisation ot Bntisi .n----dustries for the war, it is essential to have the complete co-oporario;(,of employers and

I workmen. The Government taking over the works did not- mean that there will he a | general or an admiral installed in.-tea-d m I lie present managers. Tlie Government proposed to impose a limitation of profits, because otherwise there would lie difficulty in an appeal to labour to relax rest notions and put out its whole strength unless it know that the State was getting the Ixnufit, and not merely a particular individual or class. If we merely assume control of business and guarantee profits within a certain limit, the employers will not have the same interest in limiting expenditure. Consequently, the Government desires an undertaking with employers, but the present purpose is to lay certain points before the representatives of tlie workers. At any moment, important work is liable to be interrupted by labour disputes. The Government do not. say that workmen ought never to complain, but they say works should continue while disputes are adjudicated on The Government accordingly propose that then; shall lx; no strikes nor lock-outs during the war where Government, work is proceeding, but any difficulties shall bo settled by an impartial tribune, such as tlie conference may decide. . . “The question of suspending restrictions on output during the war is diliicult for the workers, but very important to the State. There were the questions of the number of machines one man shall be permitted to attend, also the employment of semi-skilled labour, and women. The French women are doing a vast amount in the ammunition factories, and the way Franco has met her responsibilities is something whereof democracy (an be proud. We appeal to the British workers to do the same. Conference in May.