* * * * Surplus Spindles The Bill which will
set up a Spindles Board for the cotton spinning industry, read for a first time last Monday, is an excellent example of the help which the Government can give to an industry when a majority of its members favour concerted action. The spinning trade is suffering from an excess of machinery. Of the 50,000,000 spindles (approximately) which exist, at least 10,000,000 are redundant The proposal is to impose a flat rate levy (without discrimination between Egyptian and American cotton) on all spindles for a period of years, and to devote the proceeds to the immediate purchase of surplus spindles. The result will be that factories will be enabled to work to capacity, or nearly to capacity,' and the cost of scrapping will be spread over the whole industry. The scheme is based on a majority vote, 66 per cent. being in favour and only 18 per cent. against. It is to be hoped that: the House of Commons will not lend itself to organized; opposition which, in view of the Parliamentary time- table, would wreck the measure.
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