FATAL LETHARGY.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 197, 20 August 1919, Page 7

FATAL LETHARGY.

IMPERILLING THE NATION. GREAT PRODUCTION WEEDED. THE SHELL-SHOCKED WORLD. (By CaWo.-rrcss Association.— Vopyrlent.) (I (Received 0..13 a.m.* LONDON. August 10. t! Mr. Lloyd Ccor-e. addressing tho *' House of Inmnioiis, rmpliiurisi-d the ll monetary exchange difficulties. The l Kovereign to-day was worth less than r ' 17/ti in America, which whs due to tho H fact that we were not paying for iuir <- porta with exports. ri The only alternative to increased pro- l> duct ion was for the people to quit the '' country. The Premier mentioned among tl the reasons for decreased production wore the dilli.ulties of transition from 0 war to peace, the lack of lahour, and ! s also tin- fact that everybody"s nerves j n wee jaded :m<l torn after the strain of it' war. Kveryhody was complaininj; of I c pverybody cl.-c some complained of l> Providence Inn these tendencies were » « orld « id.-, anil would pa**. The world S w:'.s suffering from shell-shock on v big h :-. aJe. I f DELIBERATE SLOWING DOWN, j ' One of the arguments in favour of I" ivducinj; hours luid been thut it would i not involve reduction of output, but the ! ( fact was that then- had been reduction |, ( in output in aim >st mathematical |>ro- '. !">rtion to tho diminution of hours. IH>- . liberate slowing down was not confined - ( t.* \> •iU.T-. there were evidences of it | anions employers ami managers, lie Mi;.ma,ti-.',1 as a dangerous fallacy the theury that the less you worked the] more "work then- was for everybody.! IMiberau-ly to reduce the output meant all round unemployment on n gigantic | .-■ iUe. The ab-udute necessity for .-v.-ry- [ body pullinj; together muet be brought j Kinio to the whole ountry in order to enable people to shake off the fatal j lethargy and hhukness which wore do-| I-ressing products mi and imperilling the . most vital interest- of the nation.- I Mr. Lloyd Crorge added: "Übour says * •\Vv realise the m-e.l fur iii«Teue«il pnitluo- ' Ur>n, and we do not belie*e in direct ' I action, but we aro liiimand. and cannot '- wurk with a will unless conditions are t made fairer.' We must examine that ' attitude honestly ai.,l squarely, not i" a j< Mint of resentment, but in the spirit ' i>l justice and comradeship created by j ' w:u-. 1 appeal to employers and workers I to press claims in that spirit. We init-t ' demonstrate to the world Hritain , * tradi- > tional power of solving difficulties with- j ' .>iit resort to Hiiarchy. and merely hy an ' uppoal to ooiniuousenso and fair play." I LABOUR'S GAINS IN WARTIME. . He admitted that in pro wnr days < hundn-d:- of thousands of able-lxidied men ( v ork.d iard for waves which were .1 ' disgrace to the ila.u' they fought for. but ' labour's. L'ains in flic pa»t two or three ' years had 1 11 enormous On the averogu ' ungrea liad more than doubled 111111 hoiirn diminished hy lour a. week. The war had '■ t.iught sold"ier.-i that |H.sitions were ' l.arder t.p capture than to retain. That ' v..us a bsaon for labour, who had captured mure advanced positions during the v. ar than ever I.efore. ; lie announced that a joint industrial I council had come f> an agreement regardling hours and wages which would be. embodied in a I'iil introduced toniurrow. Nibstant ally the bill meant a 4s hour week, with few exceptions, and a living! wage for all industries. 11.- urptl that steps be taken to humanise industry by | I s.-eking the co-operation of Workers rojMrdinjr conditions of Work. CHECK ON DUMPING. The Covernment would take etl"ectivo. measures again.-t dumping. The Hoard of Trade was given power to shield]] unstable industries, prohibiting import* , except under license of products of these , . industries, thus preventing excessive im- j |*t(s of Bueh products. Where import t prices were lower than here im[K)rt duty', would lie , iiarged for licenses. Care , Would he taken that no undue profit would . In , made at t lie expense of the community. ' T--~ts of whether an industry was un- . sT.-i.ble would l.c whether it was i-ssentuil . for war. whether the war had revealed j ' un inadequate supply of such goods, whether the Coveniment had to foster it ill war time, and whether if the (iovern- ! ni.-nt support were withdrawn, the industry could maintain itself at the level of ' production which the war had shown to 1.,- essential to national life. ; The (luvernment would also submit a 'scheme for the utilisation of the water-i I ..vver of the country for industrial pur-p-ses. j FOSTERING IMPERIAL TRADE. ! The Premier emphasised the importance of fostering Imperial trade, not with a view to ineri-asing our trade, but from the important standpoint of the Kinpire nn.l civilisation, lie had several ii mmuiiicutioud from the statesmen of (he Dominions upon the importance of Imperial trade by improving lornuiiiiations between the Dominions. India, and the- Mother Country, and eh icily in quickening transport. lie"hoped that peace would be ratified n< tin- beginning of September. Till then 'it would he recklessness to reduce the Army to |w-aee footing The. Premier jnientio I that the d.-lay in reaching pe.u'e with Austria. Bulgaria, and Turkey was owing to the fm-t thai they wern waiting to know whether America whs prepare,l (o take her share in guantutooiii.,' prote.-tioii to peoples who. if unpro(<eted. would be subject tv terrorism, plunder, and murder. I A SHIELD FOR INDUSTRY. Mr. Lloyd Ceorge announced that the. policy of trade restrictions nouid definitely terminate on September 1. They had", he said, been retain..,l as a shield fo*r industries during demobilisation and transition from war to peace. The only result of maintaining them after September 1 would be to artificially increase. prices, which w<-n- already too high, j Referring to attacks on the (lovernnu-nt, he asked was it wise, fair, or generous, when nil systems of government were In ing challenged, to give democracy the impression that the Government was guilty of nothing lint mistakes, scandals and inefficiency, putting nothing to the el edit side. The Premier concluded by declaring that, "With a clear eye, .a steady hand, and willing heart the ship of State would reach calmer water." —(A. and N.Z. and Keutcr.)