develops, industry becomes part of the landscape and has to consider its rate of
expansion, compatible with employment it has to provide to persons who cannot be
employed in agriculture and who will be attracted to towns. In his novels, Ruined
City and A Town like Alice, Neville Shute gives a good description how industrial
activity can die down or start anew or why people might leave country life.
Industries, in different regions, crop up differently for various reasons (see also
Chap. 2), depending on local available resources (materials, labour, power, etc), and
the possible location of the factory with respect to these resources. Then things are
simple. Often, however, few factories are set up because all these conditions are met
and even when this is the case, probably not enough employment is created to absorb
the local excess of labour.
Three factors often dominate the physical location of most modern industries:
(a) presence of some physical disadvantages, if any;
(b) availability of suitable or specialised labour in the vicinity;
(c) easy access to raw materials, marketing and distribution arrangements for the
produce.
These three considerations entail that industries tend to favour flat land in the larger
towns -which are likely to be the richer places already. Although commendable, it is not
easy to start or develop industries in poor, mountainous areas, Furthermore, the money
and time spent in developing industries in unsuitable or difficult areas might well result
in a slower growth rate of industrial development. This may impact unfavourably on the
general national development. It must not be forgotten that though workers like to earn
much money, they also form part of the consumers who wish every product were cheap.
Thus, these same workers would not be prepared to spend a lot, even to help their fellow
workers who produce goods, which can be obtained more cheaply from other trade
channels. This danger is very present with new industries competing against imported
products, sometimes at dumping prices.
Given that power is almost synonymous to electricity, availability of power,
although an important consideration, there is no constraint to power provision to
most industrial centres, unless the quantity required is very large, where the price
could also be significant. Whether there is a local tradition for industrial activity or
organisation could also be another important parameter, in the sense that if a factory
work tradition exists, skilled personnel (process workers, qualified technicians,
managers, etc.) might be available or opportunities exist for local training in the
various skills required. Proper commercial connections are certainly necessary as
well as suitably experienced entrepreneurs with initiative capability to conceive and
implement large projects.
Although the entrepreneur most often looks after a private enterprise, however a
good manager must have entrepreneurial skills whether the company is privately
owned or state-owned. Whether the government starts or nationalises a company, its
foremost duty will be to get a manager with the necessary talent and skills to run the
company. To be considered competent, this manager must possess qualities which
differ significantly from those demonstrated by the usual state administrative official.
Nowadays, more and more, industries use technology (sometimes highly sophisticated) to run their factories. Even if a simple, but devoted, manager can accomplish
1.2 Examples of Infrastructure
15
expansion, compatible with employment it has to provide to persons who cannot be
employed in agriculture and who will be attracted to towns. In his novels, Ruined
City and A Town like Alice, Neville Shute gives a good description how industrial
activity can die down or start anew or why people might leave country life.
Industries, in different regions, crop up differently for various reasons (see also
Chap. 2), depending on local available resources (materials, labour, power, etc), and
the possible location of the factory with respect to these resources. Then things are
simple. Often, however, few factories are set up because all these conditions are met
and even when this is the case, probably not enough employment is created to absorb
the local excess of labour.
Three factors often dominate the physical location of most modern industries:
(a) presence of some physical disadvantages, if any;
(b) availability of suitable or specialised labour in the vicinity;
(c) easy access to raw materials, marketing and distribution arrangements for the
produce.
These three considerations entail that industries tend to favour flat land in the larger
towns -which are likely to be the richer places already. Although commendable, it is not
easy to start or develop industries in poor, mountainous areas, Furthermore, the money
and time spent in developing industries in unsuitable or difficult areas might well result
in a slower growth rate of industrial development. This may impact unfavourably on the
general national development. It must not be forgotten that though workers like to earn
much money, they also form part of the consumers who wish every product were cheap.
Thus, these same workers would not be prepared to spend a lot, even to help their fellow
workers who produce goods, which can be obtained more cheaply from other trade
channels. This danger is very present with new industries competing against imported
products, sometimes at dumping prices.
Given that power is almost synonymous to electricity, availability of power,
although an important consideration, there is no constraint to power provision to
most industrial centres, unless the quantity required is very large, where the price
could also be significant. Whether there is a local tradition for industrial activity or
organisation could also be another important parameter, in the sense that if a factory
work tradition exists, skilled personnel (process workers, qualified technicians,
managers, etc.) might be available or opportunities exist for local training in the
various skills required. Proper commercial connections are certainly necessary as
well as suitably experienced entrepreneurs with initiative capability to conceive and
implement large projects.
Although the entrepreneur most often looks after a private enterprise, however a
good manager must have entrepreneurial skills whether the company is privately
owned or state-owned. Whether the government starts or nationalises a company, its
foremost duty will be to get a manager with the necessary talent and skills to run the
company. To be considered competent, this manager must possess qualities which
differ significantly from those demonstrated by the usual state administrative official.
Nowadays, more and more, industries use technology (sometimes highly sophisticated) to run their factories. Even if a simple, but devoted, manager can accomplish
1.2 Examples of Infrastructure
15