{"id":301,"date":"2021-04-05T22:40:46","date_gmt":"2021-04-05T22:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/legalblog.ie\/?p=301"},"modified":"2022-11-09T18:44:43","modified_gmt":"2022-11-09T18:44:43","slug":"the-emergency-world-war-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"The Emergency \/ WW II"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Emergency_Powers_Act\" title=\"Emergency Powers Act\">Emergency Powers Act<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Dedicated_Department\" title=\"Dedicated Department\">Dedicated Department<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Trade\" title=\"Trade\">Trade<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Trade-2\" title=\"Trade\">Trade<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Control_of_Economy\" title=\"Control of Economy\">Control of Economy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Price_Controls\" title=\"Price Controls\">Price Controls<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Expenditure_Curtailed\" title=\"Expenditure Curtailed\">Expenditure Curtailed<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Rationing\" title=\"Rationing\">Rationing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/the-emergency-world-war-ii\/#Energy_Resources\" title=\"Energy &amp; Resources\">Energy &amp; Resources<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emergency_Powers_Act\"><\/span>Emergency Powers Act<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Following the Anglo-Irish Agreement, 1938, the Irish government obtained access to the British government\u2019s preparatory work for emergency legislation in to control the economy in the looming war.<\/p>\n<p>The Emergency Powers Act, 1939 provided that the government could by emergency order do anything necessary to deal with the emergency. This is to include<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>control of rail, roads, ports and aerodromes,<\/li>\n<li>maintenance and regulation of supplies and services,<\/li>\n<li>regulation of any form of property,<\/li>\n<li>power to amend statute law,<\/li>\n<li>restriction on movement of persons including powers of arrest and detention,<\/li>\n<li>financial and monetary policy,<\/li>\n<li>air defence,<\/li>\n<li>measures to protect public safety and order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The legislation was short supporting Act implemented by hundreds of Emergency Powers Orders made under the legislation. The legislation provided for \u201cHenry VIII\u201d type clauses with power to suspend the operation of, amend or disapply any enactment. \u00a0\u00a0In effect, the orders were not subject to scrutiny by the Oireachtas. A majority could annul it, but otherwise it remained effective.<\/p>\n<p>The rationale for comprehensive emergency legislation lay in the uncertainty about the effects of prospective conflict, even if the State was not directly involved. It was said to be impossible to foresee all the detailed powers the government might need in the circumstances<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dedicated_Department\"><\/span>Dedicated Department<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Emergency Supplies branch of the Department of Industry and Commerce was established in 1938.\u00a0 Its purpose was to anticipate and assess the organisation of Ireland&#8217;s supplies if a significant European conflict developed.\u00a0 It was to control the transport movement, distribution, sale, purchase and consumption of all goods.<\/p>\n<p>The Ministers and Secretaries Act was amended in 1939 to establish the Minister for Supplies\/ Departmental of Supplies as a separate government Department.\u00a0 The Minister had power to control all prices and profits in Ireland, including a wide range of industry.\u00a0 It had extensive powers to police the domestic market.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trade\"><\/span>Trade<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In 1939 about two thirds of Ireland&#8217;s imports came from the United Kingdom and nearly all exports were to the United Kingdom.\u00a0 The Anglo-Irish Trade Agreement of 1938 had put economic relations back on a normalised footing.<\/p>\n<p>Ireland did not have its own Merchant Navy.\u00a0 They were 141 registered steamships and, just 56 ships of oceangoing standards, registered in the State.\u00a0 A significant number of the 141 registered ships transferred to the United Kingdom prior to the war.<\/p>\n<p>The British and Irish Steam Packet Company was the largest and most important ship company in Ireland, although a low percentage ownership was held by Irish residents.\u00a0 Only 5% of ships in Irish ports were Irish owned.<\/p>\n<p>Coal, petroleum, wheat, maize and timber were key imports for the economy.\u00a0 Many British registered ships were requisitioned as part of the war effort by the UK Board of Trade. A German blockade was likely.\u00a0 The British Ministry for Food requested that the British merchant vessels be allowed use Irish ports, which would have alleviated pressure for supplies.\u00a0 However, the move would inevitably have led Ireland into the war or lead to the \u00a0bombing of ports.<\/p>\n<p>Ireland faced a severe shortage of supplies, in part arising \u00a0by way of coercion to pressurise Ireland to join the war on the allied side. In 1940, a total economic blockade followed against Germany cutting off Continental Europe from world food supplies.\u00a0 Further trade restrictions with Ireland, were imposed in 1941. The circumstances led to the formation of Irish Shipping in 1941.\u00a0 It secured 15 ships, many of whom were foreign vessels inactive in Irish ports.<\/p>\n<p>The bulk of Ireland&#8217;s shipping involved importing grain from the United States and the Lisbon trade route.\u00a0 For the most part, the trade with Britain was restricted with limited and occasional exceptions. Occasional exceptions to trade restrictions \u00a0arose on an ad hoc basis.\u00a0 Barter type arrangements existed in relation to certain commodities, including in particular food and beverage. There was a degree of bargaining between the Department of Supplies and British Departments in relation to food and beverage in return for imports required in Ireland.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Supplies instructed manufacturers and importers to maintain six months reserve stock of supplies with soft guarantees against loss. \u00a0Pressure was put on banks to reduce interest rates, largely unsuccessfully.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Supplies imposed a monopoly on imports. The Department of Supplies, established central importing bodies on its own initiative, including the non-profit Tea Importers (\u00c9ire), Ltd., established in 1941.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trade-2\"><\/span>Trade<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Department did not assert full control over industries but did impose monopolies in respect of certain commodities.\u00a0 It used various tactics with particular manufacturers and providers in order to increase and preserve \u00a0stocks and supplies.\u00a0 T<\/p>\n<p>he Department maintained pressure in relation to supplies and also in relation to the prevention of inflation and price control.\u00a0 Emergency powers orders sought to limit profits. For the most part however control was exercised informally.\u00a0 Full rationing was introduced in 1942 when the shortages became most pressing.<\/p>\n<p>Several trade associations and prominent figures were convicted for breach of emergency legislation.\u00a0 The secretary of a key trade associations was jailed for insider trading.\u00a0 Sanction and fines were imposed on several large firms for dealing in sugar without licenses.<\/p>\n<p>The number of licences granted to foreign manufacturers was reduced to almost nothing.\u00a0 In the 1930s, the Control of Manufacturers Act had been largely circumvented due to failures of domestic enterprise in particular areas.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Control_of_Economy\"><\/span>Control of Economy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Pricing was policed and subject to prosecutions.\u00a0 Pricing orders were made and there were a number of imprisonments for selling over the controlled price.\u00a0 Numerous businesses were subject to licensing.<\/p>\n<p>Petrol was rationed and private motoring was banned.\u00a0 Limitations were put on commercial journeys. Petrol consumption fell by 75% between 1940 and 1943.<\/p>\n<p>Most sectors were subject to rationing.\u00a0 Prices and margins were controlled.\u00a0 Requirements were made to keep supplies to certain levels in anticipation of further deterioration in the earlier years of the War.\u00a0 The measures were difficult to implement as the government refused to guarantee the cost and losses arising.<\/p>\n<p>The Department spent considerable effort combating unacceptable commercial behaviour and racketeering.\u00a0 In situations of constrained supplies, black-market dealers could demand \u00a0grossly inflated prices.\u00a0 The Emergency Powers Orders sought to control prices.\u00a0 However, the black market circumvented rationing and the imitation of supplies for those able to pay market prices.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Price_Controls\"><\/span>Price Controls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The early months of the war saw significant increases in pricing of key essential commodities including sugar, tea and fuel.\u00a0 Price controls were introduced without full rationing.\u00a0 The Department sought to use voluntary cooperation and persuasion to control supplies.<\/p>\n<p>Maximum Prices Orders were made.\u00a0 They were constantly changing due to rapidly changing conditions during the war.\u00a0 Coal became rationed in January 1941, fuel oil in March, kerosene in April and turf in August 1941.\u00a0 Full rationing was introduced by 1942.\u00a0 Earlier rationing had been voluntary based on persuasion.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous orders were made through the emergency period with an average of 150 per year from 1940 to 1943.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expenditure_Curtailed\"><\/span>Expenditure Curtailed<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Expenditure not essential to the war effort was curtailed. An Economic Committee was established with a view to determining what normal activities could be suspended or restricted in order to release personnel for emergency work.<\/p>\n<p>A wide range of cutbacks were proposed. Government expenditure was to fall by almost a third. In particular, local loans, housing grant loans, unemployment payments, unemployment schemes and agricultural grants were severely cut back. Approximately 2,000 public servants were to be made available for public emergency work. Ultimately, the government did not have the will to implement the full range of the proposals.<\/p>\n<p>A policy of intensive increase in agriculture and in particular tillage was implemented. \u00a0It was proposed that unemployed persons be directed into working on agricultural, and in particular on the tillage campaign.<\/p>\n<p>More refined measures were put in place for the reduction of unemployment assistance. Distinctions were made between areas on the western seaboard with higher unemployment and other areas.<\/p>\n<p>The proposals for winding down housing grants and restrictions on the provisions of local loans funds for housing were watered-down.<\/p>\n<p>A particular problem was the interruption of the supplies of imported raw materials. Substitution by home products of imported industries, was only possible provided raw materials or semi manufacture goods could be imported. The supply of fuel impacted many industries. Petrol was rationed. The lack of bitumen affected public works of road repair. Tar was substituted but reduced quantities only could be produced.<\/p>\n<p>A Department of Supplies was created to plan economic requirements. However, the control of the economy remained largely with the Department of Finance.<\/p>\n<p>Key issues tackled included food supplies, essential commodities, regulation of external trade, censorship, counterespionage, control of communications, publicity, coast watching, monetary affairs, transport and military measures<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rationing\"><\/span>Rationing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Rationing necessitated the issuing of the ration books and a census of stocks, production and supply. Registration night \u00a0May 1942 involved a registration of almost the entire population and the issue of ration books. Wheat rationing was introduced in May 1942.\u00a0 Bread, clothes and footwear became controlled shortly afterwards, as was butter and soap in the late 1942.\u00a0Private motoring and sale of heating appliances were banned later in 1942.<\/p>\n<p>Tea had been subject to earlier rationing in 1941 where members of local security forces had assisted in registration of households.<\/p>\n<p>The Department relied on the Garda S\u00edoch\u00e1na and Customs in the administration of rationing.\u00a0 \u00a0An inspection branch staffed by inspectors, many of whom were, customs officers and inspectors were established through the country.\u00a0 Inspectors exercised powers to make surprise visits to shops and retail outlets to ensure compliance.<\/p>\n<p>Prosecutions were taken through the state solicitors.\u00a0 Numerous prosecutions were brought to the District Court, most commonly for selling at excess prices, not selling to persons registered as local customers and failures to keep records.\u00a0 Many rationing violations were reported by the public and were the subject of prosecutions.<\/p>\n<p>Nearly a thousand prosecutions a year were undertaken for breach of the rationing regulations and orders.\u00a0 Some prosecutions where taken before the Special Criminal Court against large-scale black marketers.\u00a0 Some significant penalties were handed down.\u00a0 The District Court \u00a0varied in their approach, some being relatively light while others imposing significant fines.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Energy_Resources\"><\/span>Energy &amp; Resources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>See the separate sections in relation to turf development during the war.\u00a0 Turf production was greatly increased, to substitute for the reduced availability of coal.\u00a0 Grain Importers Ireland, a state company sought to try and secure supplies of grain.\u00a0 In most areas the Department did not seek to establish and substitute itself but sought to exert pressure on the incumbent suppliers.<\/p>\n<p>Haulbowline Industries Ltd., large scrap merchants in Cork and Western Supply in Achill were damaged in delays in granting licenses.\u00a0 They exported a significant percentage of their scrap to British Iron and Steel.\u00a0 Pressure was maintained on scrap merchants to maintain supplies.\u00a0 A lack of chemicals and machinery hampered agriculture.<\/p>\n<p>Electricity and gas were rationed in 1941.\u00a0 The infamous Glimmer Man inspector regulated gas and electricity and was subject to popular derision.<\/p>\n<p>Irish Dunlop was pressurised by the government to import extra supplies of rubber in late 1939 but without a government guarantee, refuse to do so.\u00a0 The supply situation ultimately deteriorated with the outbreak of war in the Far East and full British export prohibitions.\u00a0 Rubber supplies were cut off completely.\u00a0 The import of bicycles and bicycle parts plummeted by almost 90%.\u00a0 Combined with petrol restrictions it made the bicycle critical. Bicycles and bicycle parts were rationed.<\/p>\n<!--themify_builder_content-->\n<div id=\"themify_builder_content-301\" data-postid=\"301\" class=\"themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-301 themify_builder tf_clear\">\n    <\/div>\n<!--\/themify_builder_content-->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Emergency Powers Act Following the Anglo-Irish Agreement, 1938, the Irish government obtained access to the British government\u2019s preparatory work for emergency legislation in to control the economy in the looming war. The Emergency Powers Act, 1939 provided that the government could by emergency order do anything necessary to deal with the emergency. This is to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=301"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19578,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/301\/revisions\/19578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalblog.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}