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"Film Industry In
U.K. May Close"
LONDON, Monday (AAP). — British film studios
and cinemas are threatened with a close-down in the
spring, according, to Mr. Tom O'Brien, Labour M.P.
Mr. O'Brien, who is also secretary
of the National Association of
Theatrical and Cinema Employees,
was addressing a meeting of film
studio workers.
"The Government has thrown the
British film industry into the dust
bin and is even preventing the dust
carts from collecting the refuse," he
said.
"The Government has failed to
provide facilities and remedies for
replacing American with British
films."
Mr. O'Brien alleged that several
hundred studio workers were dis
missed on Saturday, and added; —
"Arthur Rank is talking about re
trenchment when the occasion de
mands vast expansion. He has
budgeted for a world market, and is
faced with a . village fair."
The Tobacco Workers' Union will
send a deputation to the Chancellor
of the Exchequer (Mr. Hugh Dalton)
urging a postponement of the in
crease in the tobacco tax.
Secretary of the union (Mr. Pen y
Belcher) said: "We will urge the
Government to take immediate steps j
to obtain the maximum amount of
tobacco leaf from the Empire and
non-dollar countries and to embark,
on a policy of deyeloping tobacca
growing in the British Empire."
LONDON, Monday (AAP). — The
Government "at the moment" did not
intend to nationalise the motor car
Industry, the Minister for Fuel and
Power (Mr. Hugh Gaitskell) told a
meeting at Eastbourne yesterday.
According to the "Times" aero
nautical correspondent the Brit
ish Government's planning board
Is considering stopping work on
three types of airliners with which
it was hoped Britain would lead the
world after 1950.
The move is part of the effort to
divert labour, materials and money,
to the export trade. I
The airliners concerned are the;
126 ton Bristol Brazazon, the Saund
ers Roe SR54, which' is a flying boat,
of comparable size and weight to the
nrahohan and the de Havilland,
DH106, . which is a most advanced .
type with sweptback wings driven,
by four de Havilland Ghos<J
"straight" jet engines. |
This plane was intended for non-j
stop trans- Atlantic services. . j
The correspondent says that if tne j
Government takes such a step Britain
must abandon hope of catching iin
with America's big lead in civil air
craft design for 15 or 20 years.
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