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Quota Plan Attacked
The Textile Industry Support Campaign has not produced a definite formula for import control. It is merely drawing the Government's attention to the situation and demanding that some action should be taken. Fundamentally, the argument seems to be that the plan to abolish quotas and replace them with tariffs is now unacceptable to the industry, although the new system is due to come into force from January 1, 1972.
To many outside observers this may appear a farcical situation, because the switch from quotas to tariffs was in fact recommended to the Government in the Textile Council's own productivity and efficiency study report in 1969. The argument now being put forward in various quarters is that this report did not truly reflect the opinions of the industry at large. It has also been pointed out that the Textile Council itself is due to be dissolved in a few months' time, illustrat- ing lack of industry support.
Although some voices were raised in protest at the time, (notably Mr. Gartside's), the tariff plan outlined in the Textile Council's report did not meet with marked industry-wide opposition; the recom- mendation was accepted by the Government and the date for the change- over of January 1, 1972 was fixed and formally announced months ago. Now, only two months before the scheme goes into operation, there is a public outcry.
It seems unfortunate, therefore, that strong feelings about the dangers of tariffs were not voiced earlier. However, perhaps from a Government reaction point of view the timing of the current campaign is appropriate, taking into account rising unemployment and the vulnerable position of many new Conservative M.P.s who joined Parliament for the first time because of big Tory swings in traditional Labour constituencies in the textile areas of the North-West.
Black Picture of Future
The Textile Industry Support Campaign warns that if imports continue to increase their share of the U.K. market at the present rate there would be no basic home industry left in five years' time. This, it is estimated, could cost the country over £300 million in adverse balance of payments, representing the additional cost of importing tex- tiles and the loss of both direct exports and invisible earnings of industries and services closely dependent on the textile trade.
Certainly, the sponsors of the Campaign do not believe in mincing words. They have painted a black picture of the industry and of its future. In today's world no-one can afford to remain inarticulate and there are many examples of Government action being taken because some- body bothered to make a fuss.
At the same time there are also those who contend that talk of widespread unemployment and the decline of the industry reinforces the fears of young people and able executives that career prospects in textiles are bleak. Shareholders, investors and the City can equally be influenced in a negative manner. It is difficult to know where to draw the line in matters of this kind.
In the end it depends on individual judgement. The fact that a body of textile employers has got together to make its collective Voice heard and at the same time encouraged the unions to collaborate is evidence of their personal frustration at the current imports situation and their firmly-held conviction that the time has come for positive action.
TEXTILE UNEMPLOYMENT
Mounting national unemployment has certainly not bypassed the textile trades. In any case the recession in business which has been in progress for many months would have led to the number of jobless in