THE NEW WORLD

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 56, 29 November 1919, Page 9

THE NEW WORLD

more human employers NEEDED LORD WEIR'S VIEWS Lord Weir, who was an engineer .behe became Director-Goneral of Aircraft Production, said in a. recent speech that the gravity of the position of British industry. is comparablo with the emergency of August, 1914, He was speaking nt a luncheon which followed tho-forma] opening of the shipping, engineering, and machinery exhibition at Ulympia. We met tho emergency of 1914, Lord »eir said, by uniting to defeat the enemy who challenged "our liberty and freedom. "An even greater unity ia required to-day to defeat the enemies of Unrest, from which 6nring the indecision and irresolution which are paralysing our industrial enterprise and development, on which depend the livelihood and prosperity of our people." Stating that lie intended to speak very frankly on the industrial rarest, ho said: "There is nothing contributing more to fog and obscure the situation than tho lack--of sincerity and frankness. Sincerity of conviction, a. reasoned constructive policy, and, based on these, resolute action, seem to me the essentials in successful world building. In the Labour world to-day we find two distinct movements—one seeking to improve existing conditions, with" legitimate aspiration and ideals; the other a definite movement for- a something labelled Nationalisation and ultimately involving the abolition of the wage system. "In face of this position clear that those whom we elect to govern us must decide either for a policy of improvement built on existing foundations, or for one of demolition and. experiment —either they must plan for evolution or for revolution. • .

"On one hand, they must visualise a plan for running the country without the wage and capital system clearly and definitely enough to warrant them in subordinating 1 the happiness and contentment of this and^the next few genorations to the achievement of eomething which to-dav no one dare term other than fantastic, divorced from experience and the actualities of life. If 'J?' ' e ' : them declare it so ™at all may know what to' expect. . On the other hand, if tl.iey appreciate its tantastio impracticability, then let them equally clearly say so.* and at the Eame tune decline to allow that influence ito afiect them in their constructive plans. The Policy of Ruin. r s .' r '' te of the ironmoulders, JjOra Weir said: "Our national position is not precarious.enough for them; they' must stab it m. the back. They are. on strike because they are selfish enough to demand priority of consideration' for their -wajres question before thoso of other trade unions, notwithstanding that they had been parties with these trade unions to an agreement determining a date when their claim would be heard. J. rue. they have seceaed from that airreement but a tactical movement can(Applauso.) ° bftraCter ° f thdr acHo11 "

These are facts, and this very society whose members want more wages-prob-ably legitimately so—have declined over many ycare to allow their members to accept legitimate systems of payment by results, and thereby afford them the opportunity to increase their- earnings, ihev decline to allow freedom to anyone exceDt a moulder trained for seven veare to work a moulding machine which can be learned in a few days by anyone. They decline to 'allow freeoom to anyone but a skilled man to make cores, a very largo proportion of which can be made by a cirl or a limbless' soldier after a few days'-training, even though the employer is willing to pay the skilled man's rate.

'There has been less progress in the ordinary iron foundry in this country in the last twenty years than m any other clas9 of engineering, due to restrictive customs and the consequent Jack of to employers to extension and enterprise in a' department of industry on which all classes of engineering are directly : dependent. To-day the labour cost of certain dry-sand Castillo's in . Great Britain is .double that in the United States, and: 1 the American moulder is earning double tho wages of the British moulder. Mr. Henderson, ; "''The oolicv of frankness and sincerity was exemplifioff in Mr. J. H. r j?homas's action some time ago on a threatened railway strike. I do'" not refer to the present position. He refused to be a party to a strike, which he knew was unwarranted. Mr. Arthur Henderson is a ereat Labour leader, a great Labour Dower, and ho is secretary of theso ironmoulders. Cannot he follow Mr. Thomas's example and show that another groat Labour leader has the courage of his expressed convictions?" .

Dealing -with tho employer's part in remodelling our industrial conditions and securing efficient conditions of production, Lord Weir said he must adopt "a practical policy of domestic conference with his workers or their chosen representatives to explain his schemes and changes, and thereby secure co-operation and eliminate distrust and' suspicion. Trade unions and federations must accord more freedom to this policy of local, and even domestic, conference. There must be a great development'of systems of ( payment by results, i "Let the employer remember the human side, th*B essential, relationship of man to man, the side which calls for tolerance and a universal sympathy. And equally must the trade unions revise their attitude and accept the responsibilities which the progress of economic thought demands from them. They must swing their whole strength round to eliminate the elements in their present policy which obstruct progress. They must frankly recognise tho necessity for the directional authority in. workshop methods and conditions. The trade unions lhust' readjust their precepts and practices to a world reborn in which cooperation, not conflict, is tlis dominating note. - ' '

"It is the business of the State to ascertain and maintain tliei means by,which our national life can be increased and developed.'" In his speech opening the exhibition Lord Weir said that In tha task of reconstruction no channel should be ignored and no element of fair business could be omitted. Advertising was a channel yrhich led to orders, and svery day advertising wns being recognised as essential in sound business. (Cheers.)