Working Parties in Industry
The enterprising spirit in which Sir Stafford Cripps is pressing on with his plan for setting up "working parties" in industry is meeting with a good response. He started with cotton, and after en- countering some opposition he has secured promisesof co-operation. He is now dealing with pottery, furniture, hosiery and boots and shoes, and will go on to other industries. The working party for each industry consists of four employers, four workers, four experts and an independent chairman ; and its Purpose, as Sir Stafford explained last Monday, is to see what fundamental changes are required to enable the industry to meet new conditions likely to arise when the present easy conditions are over. When the reports are issued all concerned, including the President of the Board of Trade, should have a full picture of the requirements of the industry and its powers of satisfying consumers at home and purchasers abroad. Success, of course, will depend an the action taken after a report has been made. The scheme as a whole means that for each industry it will become possible for long-term planning to take the place of makeshift. The speed with which the programme is progressing is shown by the fact that the Chairmen and all the members of the five parties have already been appointed.
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