East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-06-10
az LoWELL MEII.Err.


United Press Staff Correspondent }
WASHINGTON. June iO.-'The dis.
location OF labor is the biggest prob.
lem England has on her hands nexi
TO successful conclusion OF the war
and even now the labor situation is
receiving nearly as much attention
from the newspapers and thoughtful
public Of England as the war"
This sentence is the summary OF a
long interview with Bruno Lasker OF
York, England, author OF several
works on labor problems, who is nov
In this country making a thorough
study of the questions of industrial ell
fieiency and public works for B. See
hohm Rowntree. Mr.. Lasker Is the
confidential secretary of Mr.. Round
tree and the latter is a very close per-
sonal friend and adviser of Chancellor
Of the Exchequer Lloyd George. Thus
1t will be seen that Mr.. Lasker can
speak with considerable certainty OF
T the labor situation in England today
and of the attitude and purposes of
the liberal government with regard to
the labor problem. Mr.. Lasker and
I Mr.. Rowntree were among economists
and social reformers who recently
won distinction in England for their
work on the land inquiry commission
I Of the liberal party This commission
has published the most extensive and
scientific study of the questions Of
land tenancy, housing conditions and
rural labor problems ever put forth.
/ AS result of the recommendations
made by this commission on the gov
ernment was engaged in drafting leg
J islation which it was about to submit
to parliament when the war broke
. out, and which, Mr. Lasker said. will
very likely be presented as soon as
possible at the conclusion Of the war
But while looking to those measures
for substantial Improvements. those
gentlemen see the increased complica-
tion of the labor problems which will
Immediately be felt when the war is
over and they are farsighted enough to
begin now to study the question OF
what shall be done in England when
peace has been declared.
You must not be surprised If yor
see indications OF what may seem to
You lack of patriotism among the
British laboring men over this war,
said Mr. Lasker. They realize pref
ty thoroughly that the employing class
is the only class that can possibly
benefit by the war and that the bur
den of hardships are falling, and Will
continue to fall, on them Peace prop
aganda has been carried on in Eng
land for many years and 1t was only
last summer that the labor party con
Quoted an educational campaign
against ornaments Well some OF
this education has stuck, and the re-
suit is what is called the unpatriotic
attitude of labor in England today
Asked about the prohibition ques-
tion in England, Mr.. Lasker said:
There is not the slightest chance
OF compulsory total prohibition. There
is nothing like the amount Of prohi-
bition sentiment at home that | find
in your country and what Is more to
the point, the British workers GER
tainly resent the idea of prohibition
as being aimed directly against their
freedom OF action They understand
clearly enough that the well-to-do
classes are not likely TO be effected by
any prohibition law and again they
are made to realize that the burden OF
war falls most heavily on them.
Although the question Of intemper-
ance enters into the problem OF in
dustrialism largely, compulsory pro-
hibition as a solution is impossible.
The only thing to do in that direction.
is to create enough sentiment to make
possible the enforcement OF pr0hibi-
tion, or at least temperance, before
any sweeping liquor statute Is passed.
But apparently the public and the
press Of your country do not grasp,
the fact that there is an actual dearth
OF labor in England today. ! have re-
ports from all sections Of England
telling of the insufficiency Of labor
The war is rapidly draining labor, and
especially skilled labor, from the
country. Why, things have come to
such a pass that the big manufacture
ers are going about trying to bribe
workmen away from the plants OF
small concerns. Rather than drunk
enness, the scarcity OF war materials.
and of all other supplies for that
matter, is due to the fact that Eng
land today Is forced to run her plants
with unskilled labor and not enough
Of that Now Of course, it is impos- |
sible to keep up normal production on
that basis, much less talk OF increas-
ing the output Of goods. And every
recruit added to the army makes the
situation worse.
But there Is one way in which the
employers Of England have benefited
temporarily by the war There we're
indications that had this war not
started there would have been a gi- l
gantic strike Of all transport workers
that would have tied up the whole
country That, for the time being
has been avoided but when the war Is
over things may come to a crisis