BRITAIN’S TRADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 March 1941, Page 6

BRITAIN’S TRADE

CONCENTRATION ON INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION. MEETING POSITION ARISING FROM LIMITED SUPPLIES. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. March 6. Sir Cecil Weir, a member of the Industrial Export Council, speaking in London today on the co-ordination efforts of the export trades with the limitation of supplies and on new plans for greater concentration of industrial production, pointed out the role played by imports, which made serious demands upon shipping space, on which war needs had first call. Despite the boasts and threats of the Nazis merchant ships were even now bringing into British ports a greater volume of materials and goods than in times of peace. Nevertheless, alternative uses of shipping space, specially transport of troops and stores to distant theatres of war, necessitated the closest scrutiny of war, necessitated the closest scrutiny of exports and imports. He urged exporters who were unlucky in not obtaining the materials they required not to lost heart; but to join with other firms in rationalising use of their plant preparatory to the great expansion of international trade which would follow the overthrow of Nazi tyranny. The President of the Board of Trade 1 made it clear today that the Government’s policy for concentrating production in connection with limitation of supplies did not require the formulation of a scheme of co-operation or rationalisation for whole industries. It was a question to be tackled by individual firms, which, by making arrangements for the wisest use of available resources among themselves, would qualify for privileges including protection of their staff from enlistment at lowest reservation age and help in safeguarding their supplies of raw materials.