LABOR UNREST.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 March 1919, Page 5

LABOR UNREST.

• SITUATION DISCUSSED, BY COUNCIL ON UNREST. STRAIGHT TALK BY PREMIER. London, Feb. 27. The Council on Industrial Unrest freely and frankly discussed the national industrial situation in the Central Hall at Westminster. All the speakers agreed that in order to remedy the unrest housing schemes must be speeded up, and profiteering, particularly with regard to household commodities aud food, must cease. Mr Home, who was presiding, said that unemployment was considerable, and the menace was growing. It was now 16J per cent, as compared to 5J in 1914. Mr Thomas, on behalf of the Triple Alliance, said they were determined to materially shorten hours. He was dissatisfied with the whole system of society and demanded that the workers should become real partners in industry. The Alliance stood unalterably for State ownership of mines, railways, and the means for inland and coastal transport. Profiteering, which was scandalous, was the chief cause of unrest. The excess profits tax had increased rather than diminished it. Mr Anderson moved the appointment of a joint committee. Mr Lloyd George, replying to a demand that the Government should utilise the national war factories, said there was no use in the Government undertaking work merely to provide work, for on that road lay bankruptcy. Reaction after war, and increased cost of living, were temporary causes of unrest. The cost of necessities in a workman's household would shortly fall by four shillings weekly. Other causes of unrest were the workers' determination to raise the standard of living, and to eliminate the spectre of unemployment. Unrest itself was preventing the restarting of machinery, owing to the lack of confidence. We must tighten up industries in accordance with the lesions the war had taught us.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc.

SOME HOME TRUTHS. THE PEOPLE MUST RETRENCH. Received March 3, 11.5 p.m. London, March 3. Mr. Thomas, the railwayman's representative, speaking at Watford, said the industrial life for four years had been carried on with borrowed capital. Was it any wonder that large masses of the people believed the process could continue!' Until this fallacy is removed we can never view things in true perspective. The people will have to do what the nation must do—that is, retrench. The war has rightly created a demand on the part of workers for a higher standard of living. The real difficulty of the moment is fixing a permaneat standard, owing to the abnormal cost of living. It is therefore necessary to resort to a temporary expedient to deal with the abnormal situation.—Aub. and N.Z. Cable Assoc.