The War and Wages.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15488, 15 January 1916, Page 8

The War and Wages.

A cable message yesterday contained an announcement by the British Cabinet again stressing the imperative need for economy, and adding that, having regard to the general advance in wages since the war and tho measures taken to limit profits, the Government concluded that further advances in wages other than the advances following automatically from existing agreements, should be strictly confined to an adjustment of local conditions where adjustments arc proved to be necessary. As a preliminary to coming to this decision, the Prime Minister, Mr McKenna, and Mr Runciman held a confercncc with Labour leaders from all parts of tho Kingdom, at the Central Hall, Westminster, on I>ecember Ist. Mr Asquith showed what tho Government had done to compel payment from the capitalist and income-paying classes. He pointed out that since the war -1 ,-300,000 work-people had obtained a rise in wages averaging 3s 6d per week, and he urged that a largo number of workers were better off than ever before in their lives. He appealed to all classes, and not least the working class, which had contributed so no"t>ly its flesh and blood, to make the pecuniary sacrifices necessary if England was to hold her own in tho war.

Mr McKenna, in a remarkably frank spcech, pointed out that, while munition worlcera were being paid higher wages, and so increasing the cost of the munitions, there were large classes —clerks, professional men, and others — who had received no increase, but had to pay Ineir full share of tho cost of the war, anS tho increased price of living. He also spoke very plainly of the " lavish spending " of the higher wages by tho men who were earning them, showing that this expenditure, by increasing the consumption of imported doods, was adding to the personal difficulties of tho country. If they saved tho greater part of their wages, they would have the money to spend when the State would want them to spend it. They would be in a position to encourage trade, when it was necessary trade should be encouraged. If they spent all their wages now, the effect was to increase prices; this led to a demand for more wages, and so a vicious circle was formed, which he warned his hearers could only end in the ruin of the country.

Mr Runciman gave an exceedingly interesting account of what the Government had done in the way of securing food and .keeping down prices. The Conference carried a resolution to arrange for the distribution of copies of the official report of the speeches made among members of trade unions and commend to their earnest and favourable consideration the appeals contained therein. • A hostile amendment was lost by an overwhelming majority, only fortv delegates out of over 1000 voting in its favour. What helped very largely to bring about this result was an impressive speech, by Colonel John Ward, M.P.—"Comrade Ward," as the Conference preferred to call him. "Just imagine it appearing in the " German Press," he said, referring to the amendment. "It is worth at least "a dozen divisions to the German " Army." . We 1 know that the intelligent working men of England are sound to the core, and that being so we shall win the war. If they allowed themselves to be led astray by the ignorant and disloyal pacifists, then the outlook would be black indeed.