SWEATED GOODS

Grey River Argus, 10 August 1925, Page 5

SWEATED GOODS

THE ONLY REMEDY Ban on Importation BRITISH LABOUR'S HOSTILITY. INT£ 11N ATION AL ACT ItJN NEEDED. (Received August 9 nt 5.5 p'm.) LONDON, August 7. An Interim report from the Labour Thirty's Committee investigating sweating. recommends that the importation of the produets of prison or slave labour should be completely prohibited by Britain. The Committee concludes: “The progress of industrialism necessitates the establishment of international stand, ards of labour and conditions. Tho manipulation of tariffs provides no remedy for sweated goods, ns discriminatory tariffs leave untouched the com petition of sweated goods in foreign markets. The discriminatory tariffs only drive the offending country l.> produce evo.t more cheaply and to sweat its workpeople more disgracefully. The labour standards are thus degraded. International labour conventions provide the elements of an international code of labour conditions. The persistent refusal of any nation to entry a convention into effect should be followed by the exclusion of its sweated goods by all the signatory •Sntes. ”

Owing to the impossibility of fixing tin international minimum of subsistence owing to differences in climate and physiological needs, especially in Asiatic countries( this proposal is not included.

The committee docs not propose that the definition of sweating should include wages, but it says: “It is possible to eall a convention to establish minimum wages, machinery for the different countries, nnd to raise the wages in nil the industries, and to give a percentage of wages for average unskiltie Countries this proposal is not inmatter is required from Britain, and from the other industrial nations. ’’ LONDON, August 8. The report of the committee appointed b\ the Labour Party to investigate sweated imports recommends international action against sweating for which purpose the existing machinery provided in the Peace Treatv, should be utilized, supplemented t>v a resolution of the International Lal>our Conference binding the signa.tor e to enforce a boycott, which shah only be applicable where an alternative supply is available, against goods produced under conditions not conforming to the Washington Houis Convention. At tho same time tl>e Committee emnhasises the uselessness of tariff

manipulation os a remedy against sweated goods.

THE TARIFFITES’ INTEREST. LONDON, August 8. The “Daily Herald’’ describes the sweated good's report of the Labourites as “a clear-cut, definite alternative to the protectionism of the Tories and to the doctrinaire free trade of the Liber“Standard” states that the Labour Party is on the eve of an Unportant change in fiscal policy. A private mect’sig of the Party unanimous)v approved of a proposal to boyeut. mid prohibit sweated goods entering Britain. If the Party’s full conference in September adopts the proposals, it becomes n settled policy. A eomluittee, appointed to investigate tisc.vl questions, recommends that goods produced by workers working longer hours than the Washington Convention allows, be regarded as sweated, and prohibited from entering countries which signed the Convention. The Committee believes that a warning would be salutary and would result in raising the status of workers i-a offending countries, thereby eliminating unfair competition, 'Thu “Daily Telegraph's’’ Parliamentary correspondent says: “At tho outset the Labour enquiry (re sweated imports), those favouring departure from a rigid free trade policy were in o minority. Their views gained increasing support as tho investigation proceeded. It is understood the report was unanimous. The lin 0 at Roileston end between Burnham and Norwood is under water. Should the Labour conference at Liverpool in September adopt the recommendation, a definite breach will have l>een made with the Socialist I’ri-e Trade traditions.”