BRITISH INDUSTRY

Hokitika Guardian, 18 October 1929, Page 8

BRITISH INDUSTRY

MR BEN TIL LETT’S PLAN. STATE ECONOMIC COUNCIL. BELFAST, September 2. A national economic council—a Round Table at which should sit representatives of the -Uovernment, Capital and Labour—to direct and to guide industry in its struggle to regain trade, was proposed by Mr Ben Tillett, M.P., in his presidential address to the Trades Union Congress. He made the suggestion after .outlining the work done by the group of big industrialists, headed by Lord Melchett on the one hand and the General Council of Congress on the other.

“A State Economic Council should be formed, representing. the Government and the two responsible bodies of organised capital and labour,” he continued.

“This council should have authority in matters of finance, banking, credits, concerning State an dindustry, and in regard to overlapping credits, interest, intermediate and uneconomic profits, and including reconsideration of the gold standard as a basic factor of trade and exchange. “The experiment of a National Economic Council on the lines, suggested has proved an amazing success in France where unemployed workers are counted merely by the hundred, a state of affairs in contrast to our excessive unemployment by the million “Germany, again, can be estimated as a miracle of industrial recovery, aided by the work of a. National Economic Council.”

Mr Tillett pointed out that since the congress last met trade had been impeded by the raising of the bank rate from 41 per cent to 5} per cent. On this he commented:

“That such a step should be taken without consultation with those responsible for the maintenance of industry.

“One of the indexes of how industry has been affected in 1929 may be found in the capital issues of the first six months of 1929 compared with the salne period of 1928. In 1928 the capital issues totalled £244,000,000. Th : s has actually -had a restrictive effect upon the expansion of industry.” For those industries not making proSts at the .present time Mr Tillett urged the setting up of State research stations.

“Detailed research applied to the steel industry’ he said, “would yield results of inestimable advantage to the industry and to the workers.

“Though we live in an age of steel, the steel industry of this country is depressed. Through skill and realism the workers have created a civilisation which out-rivals in realism and the magic of its arts the marvels of ‘The Arabian Nights,’/yet- civilisation’s rewards have left but the sordid and squalid as the , heritage of the great, mass of toilers.”

Mr Tillett claimed that with the extension of the whole range of collective bargaining nothing in the organisation and direction of industry could now r be regarded as the employers’ exclusive concern.

“Ine invitation extended to the General Council by the Confederation of Employers’ Associations and the Federation of British Industries marks a forward step of great significance in the development of 'trade union policy,” Mr Tillett continued. “It brings us within sight of the goal at which, our congress has been aiming, wdien the responsible bodies representing the wage, earners on one hand and the organisers of industry on the other, can sit down together to consider their mutual relations and the problems of industrial reorganisation without sacrifice of principal.

“In a concerted effort to achieve real efficiency and economy in the conduct and control of the economic enterprises which sustain the national life, the unions have a practical contribution to make.

“The organisation we have built up is disciplined, powerful, realistic in, temper, with resources of skill, knowledge and experience wdiich are unrivalled.

‘"’Those resources are at the disposal of the nation in a genuine endeavour to promote the regeneration of economic life, to recover lost markets, open new channels of trade, and to modernise our methods of production and distribution.” Mr Tillett held that the unions should follow closely the proposals being made for the organisation of the British Empire as an economic unit. All avenues should be explored to increase imperial trade.

Efforts w’ere being made to call together a‘conference of Empire business men at the same time as the meeting of the Imperial Conference next vear. He suggested there should also be an Empire Conference of Labour.