THE LABOUR PROBLEM IN BRITAIN

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 231, 24 June 1919, Page 5

THE LABOUR PROBLEM IN BRITAIN

MK. J, H. THOJIAS ON THE OUTLOOK. Addressing a mass meeting at Watford recently, Mr. J. H. Thomas, secretary of the National U?iiou of Hailwaymen, reviewed the present grave industrial situation. The nest '.three weeks, he said, might determine' whether the country having emerged successfully from a world war. could avoid an industrial dispute which in its- consequences might bo almost as dangerous, as defeat by Germany. If the crisis was to be averted, and clearly it was (lie duty of every one to avert it. if humanly possible, two tilings must lie Jcopt clearly in view. First, that people could not live entirely for themselves, for if a present triumph .brought evil consequences to-morrow, victory was barren of results. Second, that Great Britain was a democracy, and a democracy did not mean privilege for a few \or power for a section, but justico for nil, Ho believed a solution might bo found. Continuing, )Ir. Thomas said that for four years every one had boen living at high pressure, and reaction was inevitable. The industrial lifq of tho country was carried on on borrowed capital, which created an atmosphere fatal to sound economic progress. Things could never i)G seen in their true perspective, he said, until tho fallacy was removed that people could continue living under such conditions. Let them try living on what a pawnbroker would lend I hem 011 any security. What must they do to redeem the pledge? he asked. ' They would havo to do precisely as the nation must do, retrench and lmild tip their )05«s a.; speedily as possible. The real difliculty at t.he. moment, however, was tho fixing of a. permanent standard in view of the abnormal cost of liviiisr. If they agreed on a basis i'alc while the cost of living was over 100 per cent, alwvc normal Hie standard fixed would be either too high or too low. They must, therefore, -resort to some temporary expedient to deal with (lie abnormal situation.