Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1947 / Papworth Village Settlement.

  • Papworth Village Settlement (Cambridge, England)
Date:
1947
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Committee of Management and Medical Director : 1947 / Papworth Village Settlement. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    with the sanction of the Committee of Management, we had taken the precautionary measure of earmarking certain generating- plant to offset the inevitable load-shedding. Although this plant did not arrive until after the height of the crisis had passed, we found it not only an insurance against further stoppages, but we were enabled to comply with the Government’s request to transfer one-third of our power demand from the peak-load period without staggering our working-hours. Much progress was made in consolidating the advances of the previous year in making the change-over from war to peacetime production. Space was taken at the more important of the National Exhibitions including the British Industries Fair, the Royal Horticul¬ tural Show at Chelsea, and the Royal Show at Lincoln, with gratifying results. Although the demand for our products was considerably greater than the supply available (owing to restrictions in raw materials) we were never¬ theless afforded opportunities to meet old customers from home and overseas, as well as to make new contacts for the future. In the Woodworking Departments we have been largely engaged in manufacturing the Papworth electric “Mammoth” incubator, utility furniture, and school furniture. The demand for the “Papworth” incubator continues to increase, and the machine has been of considerable help to us in building up and maintaining a very good relationship between ourselves and the poultry-farming industry both at home and abroad. The high quality of our utility furniture has opened up to us excellent wholesale markets which will be of inestimable value to us when controls are lifted, both from the point of view of design, and the supply of materials. Our name was included among the firms selected to supply, at short notice, the enormous demand for school furniture created by the raising of the school-leaving age. That we were in a position to tackle this job successfully was in no small measure due to the foresight which resulted in the installation of our battery of timber-drying kilns during the war years. Owing to circumstances quite outside our control, our export markets for Travelling- Goods showed a tendency to decline during the latter half of the year. This problem was vigorously tackled, and in addition to redesigning and improving our lines where possible (with special emphasis on the export market) we decided to completely overhaul our method of representation abroad, particularly in the dollar areas. We are convinced that direct representation as distinct from agents and jobbers is the answer to the problem, and certain steps have already been taken which are beginning to justify our hopes. The policy of completely mechanizing our Printing and Binding Department is slowly taking shape as the machines on order are released by the Ministry. Three of the new binding-machines have already been received and have been of great assistance in reducing physical labour in the Bindery. Our clientele amongst publishers has been greatly extended, and the rate of expansion in this department is governed only by the paper supply. Even so, the year under review showed the highest turnover in this department to date. It w'as impossible during the war years to give the necessary training in Upholstery, as orders for upholstery, as such, were non¬ existent. We therefore worked out a new specialized training-scheme for this depart¬ ment, and that this policy was right is proved by the evergrowing demand for our utility upholstered furniture. In addition to the considerable work carried out on the new South Park Block, the Building Department was able to complete thirteen prefabricated houses and three pairs of brick houses duringthe year. This achieve¬ ment whilst being an improvement on the previous year, is still far behind our require¬ ments, as the old problem of lack of housing accommodation for those seeking rehabilit¬ ation, is still with us. In concluding this short review, 1 would like to refer to the exceptional esprit-de-corps which exists among the staff and factory personnel, and to thank them for the loyal co-operation which has enabled us to come so well through the many vicissitudes of a difficult year. B. TALLYN THE SOCIAL LIFE A full account of the social life of Papworth would fill many pages of this report, and it would be found to be but a section of the life of the world at large, with its innumerable social, religious and sporting activities. [23]