BRIGHTEST SPOT IN BRITISH LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 240, 4 July 1919, Page 7

BRIGHTEST SPOT IN BRITISH LABOUR

TRIBUTE TO THE LEADERS BY AN AMERICAN FINANCIER Mr. Frank Vanderlip, one of the great financial powers m the United States, was recently in England. In the course of an interview with a representative of the Exchange Telegraph Company, Mr. Vanderlip said: - ' There are still some bright spots in Europe. The brightest one that I have seen is the improved relations between Capital and Labour in England. I have come to believe" that this relationship between Capital and Labour is the most J fundamentally important thing in the . i whole world situation, and I have been _ trying to make 6ome special etudy of ' the subject. The British Government has ; been extremely courteous in arranging ! a great number of interviews for me with Cabinet Ministers, Labour leaders, and great employers, and I have given practically all my time since returning . to Londoa from the Continent to these interviews.

I certainly take off my hat in great respect to 6ome of the Labour leaders, as well as to eome of the great employera, for I find on both sides men of great understanding and ability, with deep patriotism and with a disposition to accommodate their views eo as to bring\* about unity and prosperity to England. Some of the leaders of union Labour are really extraordinary men. I have seen, at least one who shows auch ■ all-round grasp and ability as to leave one with the impression that he was made of such material as Prime Ministers may be made of. These Labour men have studied economics, and in that knowledge lies their greatest strength. The improvement that has taken place ; in. tli6 Labour situation sinco last February (continued Mr. Vanderiip) amounts to an almost complete face-about. There i is a disposition on the part of employers '_ to recognise the Labour point of view : and to meet new responsibilities. There has undoubtedly been an advance in the direction of accepting the idea of a. minimum wage. The aspirations of Labour for .a largo control in management so far as management affects Labour's immediate surroundings is recognised by many great employers as just and inevitable and seems likely to be gratified. I have everywhere encountered a spirit-of liberalism toward Labour which has surprised mo. On the other hand the moderation in tho position taken by most of the Labour' leaders shows that their long training in union leadership and tho responsibilities that they have borne toward Labour and tho public have trained many of them into able statesmen. From what I have learned I judge there is a 10 or 15 per cent, minority in the Labour ranks Radical to the point of latent Bolshevism, That minority wants no compromise with tho capitalistic system, and is frankly out to change the social order. The etorn questioning that is now going on in the Coal Inquiry, where noble holders of coal royalties find themselves being "grilled" by inquiries that go to tho very tap-root of property rights, is a startling indication of how the whole subject of property rights ie coming on the table fdi discussion.

The business world here sees that and eeonis' to have mado up its mind that the way to prevent wholesale experiments in nationalisation is to meet in the most liberal way the reasonable aspirations of Labour for hotter hours and a largei voice in Labour's working conditions.

If tho majority were not giving signs here of a thorough awakening I would not take so cheerful a view as I do of the social outlook in England. But England is showing her great fundamental common sense.

Ono employer told ts\o that l>o had TOW employees, directed by the brains of 100 men. ■ He was coming to believe that by giving his men a larger voice in management ho could get tho service of TOM brains directed toward improving (he output, and ho was prepared 1o try some radical experiments in this direction.