Parallel In 1349

Northern Advocate, 4 October 1947, Page 5

Parallel In 1349

Britain's Job Control

(Rec. 1.25 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 3. The present Government was the most retrograde since the days of Lord North and even longer, said Mr Clement Davies, leader of the House of Commons Liberals, in a speech. “The only parallel to the Control of Engagements Order occurred 600 years ago; it was the Statute of Labourers of 1349, passed after the Black Death, when agricultural workers were put back into the position of serfs. “It remains for this Government, copying the examples of Germany, Italy and Russia, to threaten the freedom of the people. “They have imposed more restrictions than were even contemplated in wartime. That is riot the way to recovery. “There was a time when a Minister was warned, and rightly, that people would not stand for • it. There is a dangfer today they will stand for anything.” „ aaaan»TnP ro |rgrsrgrgy WHAT ARE ESSENTIAL The Ministry of Labour, defining the operation of the Control of Engagement Order, which will become effective next Monday, said it was not desired that the building and.civil engineering industries should further expand. Essential employment was fishing, food processing, mining, quarrying, laundries, domestic work in hospitals, and similar institutions, and work in public utilities. Unessential works include retail and wholesale distribution other than food, entertainment and sport, personal services such as hairdressing, greenkeeping and sports ground maintenance, and road passenger services other than public bus services and works buses. The deputy Secretary to the Ministry (Sir Harold Wiles) told a Press conference that the Government desired to' move a large number of workers from distributive into manufacturing industries. SHORTER HOURS NOT YET “If workers can give us just 10 per cent more output per person we should overcome all our manpower shortcomings and see the nation on the road to prosperity,” said the Minister of Labour (Mr Isaacs) today.

He added that Britain could save herself by her own work. Workers were looking to the time when there would be no need to work long hours, but that time was not at present.