Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-01-07
Labor Leaders Pleased Be-
cause of Tendency Toward
Government Ownership
and See Possibility Of End
to Antagonist.
CLASS FEELING IN
ENGLAND EVIDENT
War Has Not Put an End to
Strikes, but Labor Be-
lieves Government Plans
to Take Over Manage
ment of Industries.

London, Dec. 6.-(By mail. 1T isn't
an assured fact yet, but today there
is a glimmer Of hope that state con-
troll of industry, forced by the war, will
put an end to antagonism between
capital and labor.
Perhaps in no other country in the
world has the bitterness of class feel
ing been so strong as in England The
United States has seethed for years
with the clashes between employer and
employe. but over here, the fight has
been on broader lines. 1t Is the out
growth of centuries of conflict between
those who have wealth and property
and those who have produced wealth.
STRIKES DURING WAR.
Regardless Of the fact that the ma
ton was involved in war, work men
throughout England, miners, railroad
ers, dockhands, and shipbuilders, have
at times laid down their tools to en-
force their demands for increased
wages and better working hours. The
result has been the same wherever the
strikes occurred. Employers claimed
their profits couldn't stand further in
roads. Employees demanded that they
be shown the books and informed OF
every detail of cost and production,
which of course they were not.
Labor always has cried out against
its lack of representation in the gov
eminent 1t was given one seat in the
cabinet, but wanted to be represented
in every branch of affairs. In practi-
eally all labor circles, the agitators
used the old arguments about the gov
eminent of the many by the few
Those who wanted to stir up class feel
ing invariably pointed TO the British
cabinet with finger of scorn as the
representative of the small body of
aristocraey.
FOR FAIR DIVISION.
In fact. the two principal points upon
which British capital and labor have
clashed have been the fair division OF
profits and equal representation in
government
The flicker of hope in the situation
has followed revolution both In the
British government and in the attitude
of employers toward employees. One
month ago the Welsh miners struck for
an increase of Is per cent in pay. 1t
was the third time they had struck for
similar increases since the war started.
On both of the former occasions they
won their raise after a great deal of
pickering. The last settlement was
made by government officials, imme-
diately after the announcement OF gov
eminent control Of the mines.
LABOR LEADERS HAPPY.
Today there is every indication that
the government intends to take over
control of all national industries and
labor leaders are universally rejoicing
for they feel that in such an event.
their demands will have a far better
chance of success than under private
ownership. 1t is hoped government
control will bring with 1t a complete
understanding between the producers
and the moneyed interests, as to how
much of the profit can revert to labor.
Along with the revolution in indus
try, came Lloyd Georges new historic
overthrow OF the British government
and the institution of far more eff
cient and representative body. In II,
labor has three cabinet members and
several secretaries. The cabinet in
truth, is a labor cabinet, organized for
the purpose of so disposing the nations
man-power as to insure the successful
prosecution of the war. In few hours.
ii might be said, Lloyd George has
given TO the great body of the nation
what hundreds of years of strife and
fighting has failed to gain.