THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19940, 29 May 1930, Page 13

THE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK.

TO TUB EDITOR OF THE PRESB Sir,—l am grateful to "Audax" for the admission that he really cannot' say what should' bo - the average wage paid to workers. That being admitted, it is evident that he did not know what he was talking: about. The economic problem is too big a thing to be settled by simply reducing wages. There are too many other questions to settle —banking, cost of living, and a host of others. One solution is do to others as you would wish them to do to you. A lot of the employment problems of the present day aro duo to tnia fact, that the employer is suffering from what is the outcome of his treatment of his employee in the past, tie thought the employee should have no soul of his own and had n,o -rights worth considering; hence the distrust, and the results are bearing fruit, ana will continue to do so for quite a long time yet. . In spite of what "Senex or "Audax" may make of the Arbitration Act, it is still a power for good to both employer and employee, and there is more rest in the industrial world to-day as the result than in any other period It is argued that the Arbitration Act is the cause of stop work meetings, and other petty annoyances that employers have to contend with.' That is so much nonsense, _ and I am prepared to make this prediction that, if the Act is abolished, the employer will find such occurrences ranch more prevalent. The majority of both employers and employees would sooner work under the Act than without. J>o person who thinks for himself considers that tlio Act is perfect orwi give complete satisfaction to eittici. side. But both sides kpow this, that thev have some protection from 11 - dustrial troubles, and that an hones attempt has been made to solve difficult problem. - / "Andax" savs that the c " se ? stated of Mr Ford, the iam and chocolate companies, and others a re y isolated cases.. I. will ■' say that they

are not so prevalent as one would wish them to be, but that proves my contention that the well paid and contented employees aro an asset to any business firm. Let me tell "Audax" that when tho employers in general will practise the teaching of the Sermon on tho Mount, and treat their workmen as brothers instead of as something to exploit, then they will find the economic problem bcin£ solved. Tho industrial troubles of tho present day are simply the fruits of the treatment of the employer to his employee m tho past. There are very few employees who will not respond to generous treatment. There is but one solution to the problem, and that is the teaching of the brotherhood of man. In drawing this correspondence to a closo. as far as I am concerned, 1 would like to thank The Press for the very fair manner in which mv correspondence has been handled. I trust that "Audax" may vet find a solution to hia problem, but I am afraid he will never solve it if he thinks tho only way to do so is to reduce the workingman's wages and nothing else. —Yours, etc.. • ■ WORKING MAN. May 23th, 1930.