Not So Well Off.

Progress, Volume XV, Issue 4, 1 December 1919, Page 675

Not So Well Off.

Labour Leader’s Warning.

Speaking on “Industrial Fallacies” at Leeds (recently, Mr. W. A. Appleton, Secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, said one misapprehension was that high wages necessarily meant a high standard of comfort. Millions were getting twice as much in nominal, wages, and yet were not living as comfortably as before the war. Another misapprehension was that idleness made for happiness. If people'who were striving for moire leisure were onlv doing so in order that they might do nothing, he was sure they were not going to- be any happier. It was the exercise of thought and creative. capacity that afforded the highest happiness. He was afraid we were getting into trouble by imagining that shorter hours necessarily meant less. unemployment. The

effect would be seriously to increase.the cost of production and the selling price' in overseas markets. He feared they were making the mistake of assuming that the grievances of the minority were moire important than the welfare of the majority. They were having lightning strikes, which were stopping production and holding up the whole country. We were running after will-o’-the-wisps, and later on we would have to pay for the foolishness that had kept us more or less idle for the past three months. These occupations were to-day combining to compel the rest of the workers to pay additions to their wages. He wanted the miners, the (railwaymen and the transport workers to have a good time, but they should realise that every penny put upon the community handicapped, the other fellow. He wanted working people to get back to the old truth In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread.”