AMERICAN LABOUR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue LVI, 13 November 1925, Page 7

AMERICAN LABOUR.

ADOPTS NEW IDEA. THE AGE OF SUPER POWER. I (From Our Special Correspondent.l j SAN FRANCISCO, October 20. I American labour has taken the lead in the Labour movement of the world in formulating a new policy to meet ] the "age of Super-power," according to President William Green and other leaders of the American Federation of Labour, and this point was enunciated in a report of the executive committee of the Federation, and approved b3 r the convention in session at Atlantic City in New Jersey. The report declares in effect that' Labour must not be content with fighting for higher wages and resisting wage- j cuts, but that it must gaiu its share j of advantage from this era o-f power development, and the constant substitution of mechanical for manual labour, by working for shorter hours and wages proportionate to the buying power of the dollar. "This action places American labour in a most advanced position on wage theories," President Green of the Federation said, after the measure was adopted. "It may be regarded as the emaciation of a new idea. It is a position far in advance of any position we have taken •before. We are on the threshhold of a new era. We are in the infancy of 'giant power.' A new condition is here and we must meet it. This is our way of melting it." The main points in the policy as adopted are: Declaration that the best interests of all concerned are served by increasing the quality, a3 well as Vμ quantity of production throucrh the ■Medium Of hierh wage standards, insuring higher standards of personal efficiency j and : better environment for the ; workers. L'rges elimination of waste a 5! the means of reducing selling costs of t!ie products of industry—permitting lower prices and higher wages. The concluding paragraphs of the measure adopted reads: '"Social inoqua'.ity industrial instability Mid injustice must increase unless the workers" I real wages—the purchasing power of i their wages—coupled with a continuing ' reduction in the number of hours making !up the working day,, are progressed in proportion to man's increasing power of production." This paragraph, according to Labour leaders, contains the key of the new policy. Necessity for the enunciation of such a policy was brought about, leaders •explained, by the tremendous development of mechanical substitutes for man power, resulting in increased production with a deci'easc in the amount of manual lalwur u&A. Tills woi'.ld bring a condition of unemployment, low wages and general distress in labour ranks, according to the Labour leaders, unless labour shared in the benefits which accrue^—collected its part of the profits in better wages aud shorter hours. / i.