England in 1940

TOLD BY CAPTAIN FORRESTER, R. E.

III.—Rationalization and the Handicrafts

"NOW that we've finished our luncheon," said Graham, "I want Hilary to show you the Handicrafts Exhibition."

She rose, as he spoke, and led the way down the central vestibule. We passed through the fruitarian luncheon car, and the radio-television car—where the air was full of soft music—and entered a long open Pullman bearing the crest of the International Handicrafts Association.

Here was set out one of the most charming displays of handwork that I had ever seen, and girls in simple uniform frocks were busy selling their lovely wares to passengers.

Hilary was quick to answer my question before I asked it.

"These exhibition cars are now a regular feature on all railways," she said. "The Handicrafts Association runs them on the principal expresses. This particular car is rather a crack one as it is detached at Central Square and runs through to Constantinople via the Channel Tunnel."

"It's a great scheme," I said. "'Whose idea was it to begin with ? "

"Oh—the Minister of Development, of course," she answered ; "he's the president of the British section of the I.H.A.—says he needs something like this to give his mind a rest from his big world schemes. So this is one of his hobbies. Let's sit down, and I'll tell you about it. The I.H.A. is the favourite child of the rationalization movement."

"But we were always told that the advent of machinery and mass production was utterly soul-destroying and reduced the formerly skilled craftsman to a mere cog in a huge machine."

"I know," she answered. "But we don't reckon that ' cogs ' are at all ' mere ' nowadays ! We take care that the whole team really understands its objective. You should hear dad on these new steel hopper coal wagons of his—those one-hundred-ton ones that we saw at Crewe. He says that all the men in those huge works knew and understood what they were after when they set out to build those cars, and the draughtsmen were helped by all sorts of suggestions from men at every stage. The Steel Corporation is very proud of the result. Those wagons have cut down the dead weight of truck, per ton of coal carried, by over fifty per cent., and the number of wheels per one hundred tons by more than that."

"That's good work," I rejoined, "but what has it to do with handicrafts ? "

"It has a great deal," replied Hilary. "You remember that famous declaration of policy by the Federation of British Industries and the Trade Union Congress, that became the basis of our new industrial code ? There were three outstanding points, and they were something to this effect. The first laid down that the central, dominating purpose of the rationalization movement was to co-ordinate and refit our industries to produce the goods required without waste and with the greatest measure of enrichment in quality of life for all.

"To this end it was declared, secondly, that the united effort of all sections of our industrial personnel must be devoted to the improvement of the product or service, the reduction of prices and the increase of wages. "The third point referred to the intimate connexion between the development of mass production and the growth of handicrafts ; between the works of science and the works of art."

"I am still puzzled," I said, "for I always understood that the two were poles asunder."

"It's really quite simple," she answered. "Handi- crafts for many years enjoyed a most precarious existence, first, because there were only a few people who could afford to buy their products, and, secondly, because there was so very little leisure. Rationalization has left all that behind. The standard of real wages is much higher and the shortened hours have brought new leisure to thousands of people. Handicrafts have come into their own because of this—you'll see it everywhere you go.", "This is wonderful," I said. "Flourishing handicrafts as the corollary of mass production ! And where does your I.H.A. come in ? "

"Its main work," she answered, "is connected with craft education and marketing. It is closely linked up with all the craftwork of the schools (all craft teachers are members of the association). It runs lectures all over the country on the technique of different crafts ; it organizes countless exhibitions, conducts several journals, co-ordinates supplies of raw material, and finally markets the products of its members throughout the world. The I.H.A. is a splendid link between craftsmen everywhere. Its international tours and co-operative holiday centres are simply delightful—it has its clubs in every important centre, and the work which I take up to-morrow is that of assistant secretary to the New Handicrafts Club in Central Square."

"But, tell me," I said, "what is this Central Square that you mention ? The name is only faintly familiar."

Hilary glanced at her wrist-watch. "You will see for yourself in exactly ten minutes. It's part of London's great town-planning scheme for the North-West Area. I advise you to wait and see ! " And with this I had to be content. We returned to Graham and collected our kit as the train came slowly to a standstill under the wide spreading roof of the Central Station. It was not merely a terminus, they told me, for a dozen full-size tunnels continued south and west to link up with the new station, at the southern end of the bridge, at Charing Cross and with Paddington for the western lines.

Taking leave of my friends, I stepped upon the moving platform and was carried forward into a beautiful and spacious rotunda which served the double purpose of an entrance hall and shopping centre. And here I made another interesting discovery. As I walked down the long curved line of shop windows I noticed that nearly half of them were devoted to handicrafts and displayed the now familiar crest of the I.H.A., whilst the other half were resplendent with the products of the great rationalized industries in almost bewildering variety. Little distinctive badges of rather heraldic character indicated sometimes the actual makers, sometimes the marketing organization, and• in many cases both. I recognized the world famous badge of the International Textile Corporation on glowing fabrics of every hue— the Vulcan's hammer of the Steel Corporation—the trident of the Fisheries Marketing Board. The old sense of chaotic confusion seemed to have disappeared and in its place came an impression of ordered control and conscious purpose everywhere expressing itself in the simple, smooth running machinery of service.

MALCOLM SPARKES.

!This series will be concluded in next week's issue. The final article will be entitled "The Conquest of Unemployment.")