LABOUR IN BRITAIN.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 14960, 7 January 1919, Page 2

LABOUR IN BRITAIN.

TWO GREAT FORCES

THE WAGES PROBLEM

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES.

London, Dec. 18. T\;-o great forces are arising from the industrial situation.

First: Numerous important employers, with many old executive leaders and unions, are seeking improvement of the workers' conditions without friction.

Second: Shop stewards, who are increasingly more unccmpromisingjcling to class doctrine, and tend towards syndicalism.

Among the sugegstions made, by the first class are a general eight-hour day. Lord Leverhulme even urges a six-hour day. Many great employers are inquiring into aud discussing" profit-sharing, and some are siiggesting sharing the con-trol-of industries with workmen. It is recognised that drastic changes are inevitable, but there are many signs that a new spirit of co-operation lias oeen born by tho war, giving every chance xor regular orderly evolution and reconstruction.

Employers widely discuss the possibility of-the Government removing the war profits tax, but limiting -the profits. I his would result in employers giving tneir profits to workmen instead of paymg them as taxes to the Government.

SAYINGS OF WORKERS. Mr Clynes, formerly Food Controller, states that the wage" situation created by the war is, speaking generally, about l'o pen- cent, more favourable than the ; pre-war situation, allowing for the oreat-ly-mcreased cost of living. This improved condition is due to the piecework ' system and the payment of bonuses for increased output which largely prevailed during the war.! ,\Y here piece-rates were not in existence jv:he increase in wages has been insuffi-j ciont to meet the increased prices. J Most workers have been wise in the presence.of their new prosperity, and have saved money. The war, indeed, -has produced among.the workers a new seriousness and a hew wisdom. Moreover, public houses.ha ve been open only ror a iow hours daily, uiHitheiyevcrages have been so watered tifat they have not conduced to heavy' drinking while! i.ie prices of theatres arid cinemas have! nneh almost prohibitive.": .'• >•- I ( The post office■ 'savingsliiave enormous1 l-y lucivasod, and-the wor&rs 7 investments; m war bond^have been truly magnificent. ---~ J •

SEARCH FOR. CHEAP FOOD. For thy _ih- s fc_ time in history, Mr Chnos conUnuecl, the youi- oJvs of iiiigi«n(l Jiavo found fcnemsoives posses«s'leiccl it, but there is no doubt that tho older people Jiavo been burner homes ™d and becoming ti^^t of bofir* lidC m a %Vit3' uudream««

Mr CWs believes that the British •.voiKOi..s will strenuously endeavour to secure cbcap food, but not in crean'outside markets, because the war ha.s-de-P (..d homo agriculture, which before "•hi ' Vai' 'VU' S undcr Paid ar.d undei-

"It is unlikely," he said, "that a*ri- <;« tural «-a ge?i will drop back to tiie'old i^h'fnl ll:'rr el' oro, the prices cf food will ixHiinher tluui before the war 'iW! l° J T rer employers 'have im--I'iovwi the eojiditions they are fully satisxied that it pays them'to maintain tiiese nnprovensents.

4-lc is impossible to tell whether a depression is coming, but m v belief is that so many great midertakinas.ha~e 'been in a.wyance,_ and such avast. amount of construction work is waiting, that there will be too iew workers, leading to intensive development of machinery, which The war industries have alrcadv tiovoioped to an etxraordinary degree. " d«yelo-ped to an extraordinary degree."