MELCHETT PROPOSALS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 24, 29 January 1929, Page 11

MELCHETT PROPOSALS

POSITION OF T.U.C

ENGINEERS NOT SATISFIED

Australian Press Association.—Uulted Sorvlce.

(Eeceived 29th January, noon.)

LONDON, 28th January

The British Engineers' Association, one of the employers' associations, opposed .to the Melchctt-Tu.rner Industrial Peace Conference's proposal to establish a National Industrial Council, points out that the T.U.C. may bo constituted as a body specially fitted' to deal with labour questions, but not necessarily competent to deal with the wido range of industrial, economic, commercial, and financial matters specified in the conference's interim report. Tho conference's proposals give undue weight to the T.U.C, which directly represents only four millions out of twelve millions engaged in industry.

The British Engineers' Association adds that the T.U.C. is committed to a frankly declared political policy, and therefore that tho Industrial Council would mean the employers' non-politi-cal organisations conferring with Labour representatives eager to further Labour's political objects. "Consequently, wo are sceptical of the council's constructive possibilities. We believe they would be foredoomed to failure owing to tho fundamental opposition, unless the T.U.C. publicly repudiated Labour's socialistic programme, and stated its desivo to co-op-erate whole-heartedly with the employers in order to readjust the industrial system."

The association points out that its objections do not necessarily apply to the examination of industrial problems by competent authorities to discover "practical means of restoring depressed industries.