BRITISH POLITICS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10296, 17 February 1912, Page 5

BRITISH POLITICS.

THE LABOUR QUESTION,

United Btcps AsßOciation—By Electric Telegraph--Copyright. London. February 16.

Speaking in the House of Com]Q3ogo j Mr v ßfiffls®y MacDooald saiu 60 oer cent, of wage-earaers earned lees than thirty shillings a week. He criticised the tor supinely allowing the continuation of monopolies and the exploitation of the public. The workers were asked to trast the conciliation boards and arbitration, but confidence 1 a these methods was impaired. The workers now said : “We have been cheated so often; we are not going to be cheated again.’’ The minimum wa 0 ought to be the first chaise upon an industry. Monopolies ought feo be nationalised. Messrs dynes and Lansbury mac.e similar speeches. Mr B. Peto moved an amendment favouring the equitable division of profits and industry by 00-nartaership. Lord'Hugh Cecil, in an impressive speech, declared that the competitive system was a great source of suffering. The system rested on a side or human nature which was unchristian. Nationalisation wonm only change the arena of battle. Tbs one way to gat rid of the competitive system was to change human nature. Until then his hope of palliation'lay ‘in co-partnership. Mr J Robertson declared tue Ministers were full of sympathy far profit sharing, bat there was no hope that it would be generally adopted. Despite nationalisation, unrest was very acute in New Zealand and “Australian railways. IGxiug a minimum wage over the whole field off industry was impracticable Mr MacDonald’s amendment was rejected by 226 to 45, ami Ms Peto’s by 195 to 97. Messrs Asquith and McKenna sympathetically received deputations presenting the resolutions passed a, the Trades Union Congress.