Unemployed Garages
Attention is quite rightly being called to the Government's treatment of the retail motor trade, which has 16,000 garages or repairing shops distributed over the country. Mr. A. W. Grafton, secretary of the Motor Trade War Executive, points out that this is an industry with a capital of L150,000,000, providing petrol storage capacity of 25,000,000 gallons, employing in normal times from 200,000 to 300,000 persons. Since the beginning of the war its turnover has been reduced by 70 to 8o per cent. ; many concerns have already been put out of action and men thrown out of work ; others are struggling to survive against great odds. It is not suggested that the Government should alter its main policy—of petrol- rationing and higher licence-duty—which has gone far to stifle this trade altogether. This has to be accepted as war necessity. But no war necessity dictates that the Service departments should refuse to make use of the existing facilities of the industry, setting up separate petrol supply depots and repairing shops to do work which could so well be done by the ordinary trade. Here is a question which, since there is no Minister of Economic Co- ordination, should at least be examined by the Select Committee on War Expenditure.
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