INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 124, 26 May 1923, Page 12

INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONS.

RBITAIN AND AMERICA. A REMARKABLE CONTRAST. (By MKRI'ATOR.i A receni cable regarding industrial conditions in Britain is worthy nt more than passing attention, as it presents a j great contrast to the position in. America. I: is stated that " Mr. Frawr.: arbitrator in the building trade dispute. | has awarded reductions of a halfpenny, nn hour in L.mdon and n penny in the j provinces labourers to receive three-, quarter* of craftsmen* pay. Both sides j nrcept the decision." Tills ends tor the: ~ resent «., ....fortunate dispim, whi.-li has been "oinp on for months, and which | threntened the solution of one of Ihe j greatest problems in Britain, the prow P ion of homes for Urn homeless. Hone-, in-' conditions ut Home are absolutely| appalling. Census statistics issued in I March revealed that in lx>ndon alone; (IS3 000 people wore living two in n room, and it that can happen so near, the sent of government it must be assumed that even worse conditions pre- j vail in more remote places. Ihe li"«s----ing problem ia given in some English newspapers as the sole cause for the three sensational defeats of the Minis-; terial candidates at the by-elections «urlv in the year. Electors found it nn-1 possible to work lip any enthusiasm over , such vast problems as the occupation of j the Ruhr, or even the expulsion of the unspeakable Turk from Europe, when | they were faced with the still more, intimate danger that the success of the! Government candidate would leave them without a roof over their heads. Lord , Onslow's Committee on the Rent Restrie- j tion Act had come to a decision as to the course to be recommended to the Government. 'Hie majority report advised the total removal this year of restrictions in regard to houses of superior class, with rents ranging from £70 , to £105 in London, and from £f>2 to £78 in tho provinces. In .Tune. 1024, there is to be decontrol of houses rented: nt from £35 to £70 in London, and from | £20 to £52 in the provinces. In June, , 1025. rent control is to be abolished for| all remaining types of houses. ALLEGED EXISTENCE OF RINGS. The problem appeared to exhaust all the powers of statecraft, in view of the strongly opposing interests. Owners alleged the existence of rings and combines, which kept up the price of building, although it was acknowledged that a "drastic fall in costs had taken place | since the boom years of 1019 and 1920. Building contractors urged the impracticability of any real progress, in building " utitil men were prepared to work harder for a smaller wage." and actually proposed an extension of hours and a cut in wages of 20 per cent. The Government subsidy seemed to result in merely swelling "profits, without any considerable number of houses materialising, which latter was its sole justification. The tenants found themselves faced with a shortage of houses so pronounced that any decontrol of rents would at once put rates up to an im- j possible level and turn them out into | the street. The workers themselves were in such a bad way that, in spite of ; the acknowledged dearth of houses, ] there were in February 15.4 per cent! unemployed out of the trade union [ members* of the building trade. Finally I the issue was reduced to a single point, [ and a ballot of the building trade operatives was taken on the amended proposal of the employers for a reduction! of Id to 2d an hour in wages. This was/] defeated by an overwhelming majority, j 140,952 votes being recorded against the j proposal and only 42,006 for it. This, took place on March 20, although the j official statistics numbered the total .unemployed at the end of February as 1,200,500, a formidable total for the " Third Winter of Unemployment," although 223,300 better than at the beginning of the year. This is the staggering position of conflicting interests that has now apparently been solved by the welcome intelligence by cable a few days ago that a compromise had been reached. AX AMERICAN- CONTRAST. While these conditions rule in Britain, and farm labourers are lighting against a reversion to wages that would put them btick to worse than pre-war rates, the position of Labour in America is just the opposite. I'roni a ■usually well-informed source in New IVork the opinion is advanced "tliat the X.abour unions should be alert to take advantage of present conditions is but natural, and the outlook is for a further advance in the item of labour osts." The American Woollen Company has advanced wages 12$ per cent, while the employees of the New England cotton Industry have demanded an increase of 15 per cent, and have threatened to strike. A postponement of the strike order has been granted : at the request of the operators, and it i eeems probable that tho demands of the men will be met., as already some ol tne largest mills have conceded advances ot 12i per cent. There is also much talk of an increase being giveu to all unskilled, labour in the steel industry, and the leading copper mines and brass mills Lave raised the pay of this class of their employees. In the building industry wages are paid which are almost unbelievable, when overtime is included, masons, plasterers and carpenters often earning 20 to 25 dollars per day, or as much as was earned in a week not many years ago. There is truly a remarkable study in contrasts, which will give the economists and politicians something to tbink about on both sides of the Atlantic. There seems to be good reason for the anxiety of the British Government t; , relieve the appalling spectre of unemployment by n scheme of emigration to the Dominions on a scale that has never before been attempted, while in America there is a natural cry for a removal of the artilicial restrictions on immigration, which, are apparently partially responsible for bringing about the present very comfortable position of labour in the United States.