BLUNT STATEMENT

Chronicle (Levin), 21 January 1947, Page 5

BLUNT STATEMENT

(Special Correspondent.)

Workers Not Fit To Take On lanagement MINISTER CAUSES FURORE

Reeeived Mondav 7.15 .p.m. LONDGN, -Jan. 20. A letter iTom 'Sir Stafford (T-ipps ( wlto represents Kast Bristol in the Commons) in which he reasserted his stateurent ou October 27 that he did not consider the worklng elasses were yet fit to take over the managerial side of industry reeeived a very hostile reeeption i'roni the Bristol Trades Council. When Sir Stafford first niadr this statenient in October at Bristol' the Press were aeeused of deliberately misreporting hini. The Trades Council aceordingly wrote to hini asking for a eorree't version of Jiis speech and this the Minister provided by eonfirming Ihe accuracy of the Bress reports. ''It is tio nse niisrepresent ing I'acts in order to appear pleasant Xo oue is more anxious than lam to iet the workers' play their full part in management matters, lmt I am not responsibie for the faei IJiat for the past 50 years they have had little or no opportunity of obtaining tlie experience in llu'se matters. (five them the opporlunity and education and avc shr 1 1 find among them persons as guod as or better than those who now hold managerial ])Ositions, not jnst liecavtse they are workers l.-iit liecanse they have brains and abibty." "It is an absolute insult to the j workers that a theoretical Social- ! ist like Sir Stafford Cripps should j tuake sucli a statenient, said IMtss Jessie Stevens, ;t member of { tlie Council, when the letter came. up for eonxideration. Sbe el.aimed that the majority oi" the people in | ;lu- room had had adniinistrative t experience and that Sir Stafford jC/ipps implied that Ihe workers iwere so silly and incompetent that 5 they would l'all down on Ihe job. !lt was decided to arrnnge a meetjing between Ihe Council and Sir S1 a I'ford. At tlie eonelusion of tho ineeting a l»ris1ol journalist remarked that he was glad tho nine report - ers pre.sent at the October meeting had been vindieated. "It is inereasingly beeoming the tendeuey, " he said, "for people who read unpalatable reports in Ihe newspnpers 1o aecuse Ihe Press of !i,isre])or1 ing them."