INDUSTRIAL MISSION

Otago Witness, Issue 3808, 8 March 1927, Page 51

INDUSTRIAL MISSION

AUSTRALIANS IN AMERICA SECRET OF PROSPERITY. VANCOUVER, March 5The Australian Industrial Mission was heartily welcomed at Seattle, where at a luncheon tendered by the Chamber of Commerce, Mr W; M. Short (president of the Washington State Federation of Labour), in the course of a speech, said that American labour always recognised that the chief problem was an equitable division of the production of industry and not a restriction of output. The higher the earning power of the worker was, the larger his snare of prosperity would be. He had never shared the policy of goslow, which was based on a fear of overproduction, resulting in unemployment. The problem to be faced was not that of over-production, but that of consumption. As they increased the earning power of the workers likewise they increased their purchasing power. The business leaders took time to realise the wisdom of this policy. The two chief addresses at the last national convention of the Chambers of Commerce were based upon the importance of high wages on general prosperity. The federation in 1920 opposed the postwar slogan, ‘‘Back to normal,” on which the Presidential campaign was won. The federation’s policy was that it was better to resist and lose than not to resist at all. It would have meant industrial and business stagnation. Later the industrial leaders supported the federation’s views. It" would be a fallacy to revert to the 1914 standards, which the slogan meant, as was proved by the countries which endeavoured to return to normal- Those who clung to the 1924 standards had progressed unretarded. He advised the mission not' to visit all the American industries, as numerous American employers had not accepted the doctrine of high wages, .but were gradually coming into line, as the nation was definitely committed to that policy. The problem was economic. Daily political power was giving way to economic power. The Australians were mistaken in accepting compulsory arbitration and permitting politicians to control economic questions and conditions, the workers’ only effective machinery to deal with such matters being economic machinery mutually agreed upon and established between employer and employee. The machinery for settling industrial disputes must be on the job when the problems arose. “If the mission finds a plan to replace class hatred,” lie said, "with mutual co-opera-tion aiming at an equitable division of production, yoir will fulfil your purpose. Dig deeply into American industry, and you will find this plan being generallyadopted. Governed by voluntary organisations of workers and employers high wage standards are responsible for jthe prosperity of America.