PEACE IN INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20289, 23 December 1927, Page 9

PEACE IN INDUSTRY

INVITATION TO CONFERENCE. INFLUENCE OF SIGNATORIES. (British Official Wireless.) (Press Association —By Telegraph —Copyright ) RUGBY, December 21. (Received Dec. 22, at 7 p.m.) The delegation of leading industrialists, whose invitation to a conference has been accepted by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress, has not officially represented the employers’ organisations, but it comprise. some of the greatest industrialists in the country. These include the president of the confederation of employers’ organisations of the world and Sir David Milne Watson. Two past presidents of the Federation of British Industries, six vice-presidents, and four other members of that body are also included. Another indication of the great influence exercised in industry by the signatories of the letter of invitation is that they represent without duplications at least £1,000,000,000 of capital pnd seats on 159 public limited liability companies. The movement which they have initiated is, however, by no means confined to the signatories, for it is warmly supported by the employers generally. The letter of invitation to a conference, which was sent to the Trades Union Congress last month by Sir Alfred Mond on behalf of the signatories, expressed the views that “the prosperity of industry can, in our view, be fully attained only by a full and frank recognition tf the facts as they exist, and an equally full and frank determination to increase tlm competitive power of British industries in the world’s market, coupled with a free discussion of the essentials upon which that can be based. That can be achieved most usefully by direct negotiation, with the twin objects of the restoration of industrial prosperity and a corresponding improvement in the standard of living of the population. If this is agreed to _we should proceed to consider what might servo as a basis for our discussions. • A spiall minority of trade unionists, led by the miners’ secretary, Mr Cook, favoured rejection, but resolution was carried accepting the invitation and appointing a committee to consi’cr suitable subjects for discussion and lake the necessary arrangements for the meeting.