U.S. WORKER IS “BEST PAID IN THE WORLD”

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1949, Page 6

U.S. WORKER IS “BEST PAID IN THE WORLD”

PARIS, August 20.—The American worker is the best paid in the world, with a purchasing power in “a class of its own.” This is the finding of a delegation from the Norwegian Trade Union Congress. A pamphlet giving the delegation’s impressions of American labour conditions.last winter has been published in Paris by the Economic Cooperation Administration, which has also issued the report of another delegation frdm the Norwegian T.U.C. which visited Russia last summer.

The delegation to the United States found that the average American worked from.' nine to. 12 minutes to buy Hb of rye; bread, flour or sugar; 70 minutes to’ buy 21b of meat, and less than three days to buy a.woollen suit.

Comparing American and European industry, the delegation said: “Only a United States of Europe will ever have the chance of attaining America’s -industrial production. America’s industrial strength lies in the fact that it can, as a united whole, draw on its natural resources.” Comparison With Russian The Norwegians were impressed by Russia’s recovery since the war. The delegates said of the Russians: “We have no doubt that they are first interested in peaceful restoration, and have a firm belief that in a few years they will overcome all their difficulties, unless war breaks out.” The European Co-operation Administration calls the Norwegians’ reports “an impartial basis for comparing the situation of Labour in the United States and the Soviet.” The Norwegians made rough comparisons of prices in terms of man?hours as follows:—

For lib of sugar, an American worked five minutes and a Russian two hours; for lib of meat, an American worked half an hour, and a Russian four hours; for 11b of butter, an American worked 40 minutes, and a Russian nine hours; for a bottle of beer, an American worked six minutes and a Russian two hours; for a woollen dress, an American worked 13 hours, and a Russian 19 days; for a man's woollen- suit, an American worked 25 hours, and a Russian 51 days. . The Norwegians added that, in Russia, the suit would be only half wool.

Low Living Standard The Norwegians commented as follows on the Russian living standard: “It is clear that the general, average wage is only sufficient for purchasing the absolute necessities for the maintenance of life. An or-, dinary family can hardly live on the wage earnings of the husband alone, and women are driven into an occupational life to an extent that is entirely unaccustomed to us. They can be seen in large groups, engaged in street and constructional work, as heavy workers on building sites, as dock hands, and in factories.” The Norwegians were impressed with Russian reconstruction work, interest in art and holiday facilities for expert workers. They added, however, that they had told Russians that they should concentrate on good, simple dwellings, instead of decorated styles that increased costs. “Little, understanding was shown of such views,” the Norwegians added. The Norwegians found American social security inadequate, especially health insurance. They considered that certain areas of the United States, particularly in the south, were still backward. “Great tasks must be accomplished before the American States reach a uniform social standard,” they added.