Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-09
MANUFAcTURERs' CONFERENCE
 HELD AT HARTFORD
Sir Stephenson Kent Describes Meth
 ods Adopted in England.

At conference of representative manufacturers of Connecticut and the members of the British Labor Admin istration Mission, held under the aus pices of the Connecticut State Coun- cil of Defense, in the capitol, Sir Ste phensoh Kent. k. c. B.. head of the mission, a member of the munitions ministry of Great Britain and direc- tor of its labor supply department, described methods adopted by his country in meeting labor problems that have arisen during the war in connection with manufacture of mu- nitions. He emphasized the necessity Great Britain had met to make best
 possible use of its skilled labor, to prevent any waste of man power and
 to use each man to the best advan- tage.
 Sir Stephenson told of a triangu- lar agreement made recently between capital, labor and the British govern rnent establishing the following fea- unions give up. during the war, all the restrictive practices developed in pre- war years: CD that employers profits be definitely restricted; (s) that no
 s of tss sad all disasreements be submitted to compulsory arbitration. Wages were fixed at the then existing scale and the government agreed to make awards if necessary to meet increases in the cost of living.
 As the war goes on, Sir Stephen son said, the government has found 1t trfbuting it's man power properly and of transferring industries from non essential to munitions lines. Hes con- graduated the United States on hav- start and thus avoiding the possibility Of sending skilled mechanics to the front. The British government he added. has provided skilled labor for munitions plants by creating an army of about 300. 900 munitions worker vol unteers ready to be transferred on call wherever they are needed. As result there is hardly any skilled labor in Great Britain today which is not used almost exclusively in war work though there is no industrial conscriptioIi There are few factories which are not wholly devoted to the production of munitions or similar goods. For in
 ahsrs is ,n n9s o a produced pleasure car within the past eighteen months. Sir Stephenson attacked as vicious the practice of en- ticing labor from one factory to an other during war time, saying that the problem had been met in Britain by fixing wages by agreement for all factories alike.
 G. H. Baillie, chief technical dilu- tion officer of the British munitions ministry. told the manufacturers how his government had met the dearth of skilled labor by transferring skilled worlxmen from non-essential to es- sential trades, training unskilIed work men and employing women in muni- tions and other industries. He said that there are about 100000 women TOW working in British munitions fac tories. They get the same wages as men and their work is as satisfac- tory. The only restrictions on hours of labor are those imposed by local conditions and agreements. MT. Ball. lie said, but the average. which is found more satisfactory than longer hours, is fifty three hours week.
 About 100 manufacturers attended the conference, which was presided over by Herbert Knox Smith.
 A conference held later in the day was attended by about 75 representa- lives of various labor organizations in The members of the mis- sion repeated the descriptions of labor in Great Britain which they had given to the manufacturers.
 Captain Cyril Asquith, another mem- Der of the mission. who is a son of Former Premier Herbert Asquita, held a conference with the district exemp- tion Boards of the state at which he told what steps had been taken in his to exempt skilled mechanics from army service.