OF H.M. CHIEF INSPECTOR OF FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS FOR THE YEAR 1922. To The RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM CLIVE BRIDGEMAN, MP., His Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department. Sir, HOME OFFICE, I have the honour to submit the following report upon the work of the Factory Department for the year 1922. I have attempted to give a general picture of the work of the Department, but have enlarged more particularly upon subjects that have been occupying the special attention of the staff during the period under review. Trade conditions have remained at a very low ebb, but the reports of the inspectors confirm on the whole the views expressed elsewhere that there are signs of a turn in the tide, and that a gradual revival is taking place in some of the more important industries. For example, in South Wales 80 per cent. of the mills were at work in the tin-plate trade at the end of 1922, as compared with 68 per cent. at the end of 1921, and this improvement has naturally re-acted upon the local steel works, which are the main source of supply for the raw material required. Similarly there has been improvement in the iron and steel trade elsewhere. In the Scunthorpe district 12 furnaces were in blast as compared with 2 in the previous year. Again, in Sheffield the increased demand for iron for railway equipment and shipbuilding has resulted in more furnaces being brought into use; in the Cleveland district the number of furnaces in blast has increased from 22 to 36, and with improved conditions in shipbuilding on the Clyde, additional furnaces have also been brought into operation in Scotland. Some improvement is reported in the woollen trade, and more particularly in the higher grade mills, and in the combing and spinning sections of the worsted industry. In the cotton trade matters have been less satisfactory. Though there have been times when signs were not wanting that things had taken a turn for the better, hopes were falsified and short periods of better trade have again been followed by periods of depression. In the jute trade, where many factories were entirely closed for long periods or were working short time, practically all are now on full time, although in most cases there is a good deal of standing machinery. (10514) B Circumstances have therefore again been such as to discourage expend on extensive industrial developments, though as appears always to be the case, whatever the state of trade, developments have taken place here and there which are worthy of note.. Reference is made, for example, to the development of new industrial areas. Two cases are quoted from the Reading district. The two estates had been partly developed by Government Departments during the war, but have since passed into private ownership. On the first, thirteen factories have already been erected, seven of which were added during the year; they are supplied by the estate company with electricity and steam, railway sidings are available at each works, and a supply of good water is provided from an artesian well. The second estate is on a smaller scale, but includes a large paint and varnish works, ventilating engineering works, wireless apparatus factory, a motor repair shop, and a perambulator factory. Again, at Colwick-on-Trent an estate of 340 acres is being similarly developed, special arrangements being available for the erection of concrete buildings, and for the supply of power, while the Trent navigation scheme will provide two miles of river frontage for transport purposes. In a large number of different areas small factories are being opened to manufacture wireless listening-in sets for the broadcasting now taking place from various Marconi establishments. Another important development was the opening during the year of a large oil refinery at Swansea, which is already refining 60,000 tons a month, and is rapidly being extended. It is estimated that, when complete, the plant will be sufficient to supply about one-third of the total quantity of petrol required for consumption in this country, besides other oil products. No work has been done at the sugar beet factory at Newark this year, but all beet grown in the district was sent to the factory at Cantley. Nevertheless, the growing of the beet afforded employment to some 600 workers during a period when other agricultural occupations were slack, and its transport to probably some hundreds of others in addition. In Sheffield, where trade generally has been bad, there have been further developments in the manufacture of stainless steel, resulting largely from the introduction of the low-carbon form of the metal-known as rustless iron-which is both cheaper and more workable than the original steel. "The possibilities of the metal are almost boundless .. and even now its application to over a hundred different engineering operations is advertised" (Mr. John Law, Sheffield). It is evident, too, that in some cases at all events, employers have been utilising the period of slackness to modernise their plant, so as to be prepared to take full advantage of trade revival. |