NOT SO WELL OFF.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 14198, 25 August 1919, Page 2

NOT SO WELL OFF.

LABOUS LEADEK’S WALNIITG. Speaking on ‘‘lndustrial Fallacies ’’ at Leeds recently, Mr W. A. Appleton, secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, said one misapprehension was that high wages necessarily mcant a higher standard of comfort. Millions were getting twice as much in nominal wages, and yet were not living as comfortably as before the war. Another misapprehension was that idleness made for happiness. If people who were striving ‘for more leisure were only doing so in order that they might do nothing, he was sure they were not going to be any happier. It was the exorcise of thought and creative capacity that afforded the highest happiness, lie was afraid wo were getting into trouble by imagining that shorter hours necessarily meant less unemployment. The effect would ho seriously to increase the cost of production and the selling price in overseas markets. lie feared they were making the mistake of assuming that the grievances of the minority were more important than the welfare of the majority. They were having lightning strikes, which were stopping production and holding up the whole country. We were running after will-o’-the-wisps, and later on we would have to pay for the foolishness that had kept us more or less idle for the past rnree months. Three occupations were to-day combining to compel the rest of the workers to pay additions to their wages, lie wanted the minors, the railwaymen, and the transport workers to have a good time, but they should realise that every penny put upon the community handicapped the other fellow. He wanted working people to- get back to the -old truth —“In the sweat of thy face shall thou cat bread.”