LABOUR IN BRITAIN.

Taihape Daily Times, 6 January 1919, Page 6

LABOUR IN BRITAIN.

TWO GEEAT FORCES. FUTUBE POSSIBILITIES. LONDON, Dec. 18. Two 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 uncompromising, cling to class doctrine, and tend, towards syndicalism. Among .'tie suggestions madte "by tho first class are a general eighthour day. Lord Leverhulmo even urges a six-hour day. Many great employers are inquiring into and discussing profit-sharing, and some are suggesting sharing the control of industries with workmen. It is recognised that drastic changes are inevitable, but there are many signs that & new spirit of co-operation has been born by the war, giving every chance for regular orderly evolution and reconstruction.

Employers -widely discuss the possibility of the Government removing the war profits tax, but limiting the profits. This would result in employers giving their profits to workmen instead of paying them as taxes to the Government] SAVINGS OF WORKERS Mr Clynes, formerly Food Controller, states that the wage situation created by the war is, speaking generally, about 25 per cent, more favourable than the pre-war situation, allowing for the greatly-increased 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. Where piece-nates were not in existence the increase in wages has been insufficient to meet the increased prices. 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 land a new wisdom. Moreover, public houses have been open only for a few hours daily, and the beverages have been so watered that they have not conduced to heavy drinking, while the prices" of theatres and cinemas have been almost prohibitive. The post office savings have enormously increased, and the workers' investments in war bonds have been truly magnificent. SEARCH FOR CHEAP FOOD. For the first time in history, Mr Clynes continued, the young boys of England have found themselves possessed of ample money. They have squandered it, but there is no doubt that the older people have been buying homes and furniture and becoming the masters of their fate in a way undreamed of. Mr. Clynes believes that the British "workers will strenuously endeavour to secure cheap food, but not in cheap outside rs/arkets, because the war has developed home agriculture, which before the war was underpaid and under valued.

"It is unlikely, "■ he said, "that agricultural wages will drop back to the old level. Therefore, the prices of food will he higher than before the ~W&T.

"Wherever the employers have improved the conditions they are fu satisfied that it pays them to maintain these improvements. "It is impossible to tell whether a. depression is coming, but my belief is that so many great undertakings ihave been in abeyance, and such a vast amount of construction work is waiting, that there will' be too few ■workers, leading to intensive development of machinery, which the war industries have already developed to ■an extraordinary degree.