RECONSTRUCTION.
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A Lead from the Government Required by the Home Manufacturer.
AVERY THOROUGH study of Parliamentary . debates during the recent session upon the , subject did not lead one to a very satisfactory conelusion with regard to the steps that have as yet been taken with a view to reconstruction. We were assured that the Minister in charge of Om new Department will have few; if any, executive powers, and, specifically, that he is not authorized by the Government -to introduce protective duties. One of the principal opponents of the new Minister based his objections primarily on the fact that the constitution of a Ministry of Reconstruction involves an 'idea that there is something to reconstruct." . Other members could not take a broader view than that which involved detail discussion as to the proper number of members of a Government, and the salaries that ought to be paid to them and to their secretaries. Others again stuck to the old argument that we must get on with,the war, ,and, presumably, remain as unprepared for the economic and industrial struggle as we were unprepared for the military one when it commenced three years ago. A great deal of emphasis was laid • on the fact that the various problems of .reconstruction are being seriously considered by various Government Departments, and some people appear to think that, because this is the case., there is nothing further to be done. As a matter of fact, this is the real reason why some organization, specifically instructed to deal with the problems of reconstruction, 'is absolutely. necessarir, even if its powers enable it only to advise and in a
measure to co-ordinate. • .
Under the present state of affairs, each Department takes hold of some particular part of any problem that directly concerns it, and deals with it perfectly independently, and apparently without any cogni . .
zance of the other parts of the same problem. Thus, for example, it is no affair of the War Office to con. sider the future of British industry or the needs of the farming community. The latter is the business of the Minister of Agriculture, who, in turn, is riot 'in the least concerned with the industries coining within the purview of the Board of Trade. Then, again, we have had the Board of Trade and the Foreign Office in doubt and in competition as to. which is the right Department to assist the Oversea organization of British trade. The system of departmental government, unassisted by any co-ordinating institution, iS, in fact, capable of dealing with any one specific problem of 'hinted scope, but not of recognizing the interconnection of all these problems to form, in the end, one great problem affecting the whole population.
A Member of Parliament may cheerfully suggest that questions of reconstruction should be referred to a Royal CommisSion to be reported upon in " a year or two," on the grounds that during the process of taking evidence public opinion would be educated up to the right point. It is impossible to emphasize too strongly the fact that in these matters public opinion is right ahead of Parliament. It is, in fact, leading and not following, and has.little or no sympathy with people who have not yet realized that there is something to be reconstructed, and that the reconstructed edifice must be very different in essentials from the
• onWhich,cruinbled,under the stress of war.
The Government, in tact, must set to work at once to assist British industry and, also at once, to let it be known what line . it is intended to pursue, then 'we should have a firm basis upon 'which to work. As it is, we can make no plans worthy of the name, because those plans are likely to le rendered redundant or futile liy.legislation which, or all we know, may have been decided upon, but has ,ot, up to the present, been publicly announced. he users of commercial motor vehicles are interested a such in the problems of reconstruction. Doubtless hey are interested also in their capacity as manufacurers or traders, but for the transport of their goods ley are dependent upon an industry which cannot Ian its own future intelligently and with any degree f accuracy until it knows what the Government Leans to do for it or against it. No manufacturer was ver yet able to produce his goods with the maximum economy unless he had some fair idea in advance the extent and quality of his market. If manufactrers are forced to dabble and experiment indefi.tely on account of their doubts as to what Governent action may be, then every motor user will necesLrily suffer.
If import duties will be necessary in order to re tbilitate the British industry, then let us be told at ice that this is recognized, and letus be given some ea of the extent to which tariffs will be imposect may not be neCessary or possible to go into exact tails yet, but the general principle and some apoximate estimate must quickly be arranged. If this 3re done, home manufacturers would have some ounds for believing that a substantial market will available to them, and for planning to fill such a Lrket with standardized products produced in, at tat, fair quantities. Foreign manufacturers who ye in the past gained a footing here, and who wish retain a share of the British markets, would know tether, in order to do so, they must establish works this country, or whether, by concentrating their ,nufacture in their existing works, they can effect economy more than equivalent to the tariff, and so able to trade in spite of it. We cannot start a race til we know the handicap to be given to each cornitor. Certainly, no one can judge of his chance of ming it without this knowledge.
f, on such broad matters of reconstructive policy, stick to the ord idea of "Wait and see," we shall find that neither British nor foreign motor manufacturers are able to supply us with vehicles at a reasonable price just when those vehicles are most needed. The home manufacturer will not he in a position to do so, because he has feared to plan for largely increased permanent outputs. Delay in assuring him of what help is to be given him in the future will make it essential for that help, when it comes, to be far more substantial than would otherwise be necessary. This will mean that the foreign manufacturer, at short notice, will be faced at some future date with a very big import duty, and will have no means ready to hand for promptly manufacturing within the protected area.
Thus, the motor user will suffer for a time at least, and will have to pax, inflated prices, or get inferior goods at the old price. On the other hand, when a clear statement of Government policy has been made, all concerned could, in effect, start their after-war competition to-day, and the result would be the inevitable consequence of fair but acute competition, viz., the lowering of prices to a minimum compatible with profits, and the delivery of thoroughly good value in return for the money of the buyer.
One of these days we may realize that, from the point of view of our permanent industrial prosperity, it was a good thing that peace did not come after the 'first year, or two years, of war. Iiad this, occurred, even on the moat favourable terms, it is to be feared that it would have found us altogether unready to utilize its benefits, and, on the other. hand, would have found our enemies absolutely prepared. to take every advantage that might have remained open to them.
This -work of reconstruction along new lines needs to be tackled at once and its results to be stated publicly. Their& is no time to haggle about whether the necessary organization should be in charge of a new Minister, or should form part of the duties attaching to an existing post. These are minpr matters, and the real necessities are intelligent action at theearliest possible moment, a rapid and accurate assessment of popular and informed opinion, and complete information directly it is practicable to convey it to the public. "V MIS,