AMERICAN LABOUR.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 24 November 1925, Page 9

AMERICAN LABOUR.

ADOPTS NEW IDEA. THE AGE OF SUPER POWER. American Labour lias taken tlie lead in the Labour movement of the world in formulating a new policy to meet the “age of super-power,” according to President William Green and other leaders of the American Federation of Labour, and this point was enunciated in a report of' the executive committee of the Federation, and approved by the convention in session at Atlantic City in New Jersey. The report declares in effect that Labour must not be content with fighting for higher wages and resisting wage-cuts, but that it must gain its share of advantage from this era of power development, and the constant substitution of mechanical for manual labour, by working for shorter hours and wages proportionate to the buying power of the dollar. “This action places American Labour in a most advanced position on wage theories,” President Green of the Federation said, after the measure was adopted. “It may be regarded as-the enunciation of a new idea. It is a position far in advance of any position we have taken before. We are on the threshold of a new era. We are in the infancy of ‘giant power.’ A new condition is. here and we must meet it. This is our way of meeting it.” The main points in the policy as adopted are : Declaration that the best interests of all concerned are served by increasing the quality as well as the quantity of production through tlie medium of wage standards, insuring higher standards of personal efficiency and better environment for the workers. Urges elimination of waste as the means of reducing selling costs of the products of industry—permitting lower prices and higher wages. The concluding paragraph of the measure adopted reads: “Social inequality, industrial instability and injustice must increase unless the workers’ real wages—the purchasing power of their wages —coupled with a continuing reduction in the number of hours making up the working day, are. progressed in proportion to man’s increasing oower of production.” This paragraph, according to Labour leaders, contains tlie- key of the new poliev. Necessity for the enunciation of such a policy was brought about, leaders explained, by the tremendous development of mechanical substitutes for man power, resulting in increased production with a decrease in the amount of manual labour used. Tins would bring a condition of unemployment, low wages, and general distress in labour ranks, according to the Labour leaders, unless labour shared in the benefits which accrue —collected - its part of the profits in better wages , and shorter hours.