New-York tribune., 1918-01-03
Democratic Control of In
dustry One Plank
in Policy
National Minimum
Wage To Be Demand
Surplus Wealth for the
Common Good Is Also
Proposed

l-t-> boN. Jan. NV NA.'"A S''A>->N
ment of a national minimum wage,
democratic control Of industry. rev
olution in national finance and the sur
plus wealth for the common good-these
are the four cardinal points of the
labor reconstruction policy after the
war as submitted in a draft report OF
the British Labor party prepared by a
sub committee of the executive COM
mit.ee for submission at the party CON
ference next June, or before. should a
general election render 1t necessary.
The title OF the draft report Is
Labor and the New Social Order" and
the report declares that what has to
be reconstructed after the war is not
this or that government department. or
social machinery. but "society itself"
"Is." continues the report. "we are
to escape the decay Of civilization
itself, which the Japanese statesman,
Count Okuma (former Premier), fore
sees. we must ensure the building up
of new social order
Looking to Decentralization
Regarding democratic control of in
dustry. the report complains that
neither the government nor either of
the great political parties has yet
formulated any plan for dealing with
the rehabilitation Of the millions of
soldiers. and says:
ANY government allowing dis
charged soldiers or munition workers
to fall into the clutches of charity or
the poor law would have to be instant
" driven from Office by an outburst Of
popular Indignation The Labor party
has refused absolutely to believe that
the British people will permanently
tolerate any reconstruction or the per-
petuation Of the organization, waste
and inefficcncy involved in their aban-
donment to a jostling crowd OF sep
arate private employers with MINDS
bent not on the service of the com
munity. but by the very law of their
being only on the utmost possible
protitecring.
Has Curtailed Profiteerirg
'The Labor Party holds chat what
ever may have been the shortcomings
Of government importation and con-
trol. it has demonst trably prevented q
lot of proiteering. Nor can it end i'm
nediately on The declaration of peace.
The people Will be extremely fool
.sh if they ever allow indispensable in
dustries to slip back into the unfet~
tered control of private capitalists who
are actually. at the instance of the
government itself, now rapidly combin-
ng. trade by trade. into monopoilst
trusts" -
Alter definitely repudiating all pro-
posals for protective tariff, the Labor
Party programme calls for moro
warmth in politics and much less apa
thetic acquiesceace in existing mlser-
ies
The report suggests minimum wage
of 80 shillings $7.50) weekly as the yer!
lowest statutory base line for the least
skilled adult workers. and that the
hours OF labor, wherever practicable
should not exceed forty-eight weekly
It urges that the government shoult
prepare for the demo mobilizatlon perlo(
all kinds of public works, including the
building of millions of new cottage:
for the rehousing of the population.
Would Abolish House of Lords
The report demands the removal oi
all wartime restrictions on freedom
of speech and publication. and declare.
against the continuance of conscriptloI
q moment longer than is impcrativel.
required by the war. 1t insists upol
the abolition OF the House of Lord
and strendously opposes any new sec
ond chamber. It demands also th'
naturalization OF the land: railways
mines and the production of electrica
power and urges the taking of the man
ufacturc and sale of alcoholic drinl
out of the hands of private enterprise
''whose interest is to promote the ut
most possible consumption.'
The report concludes by stating tina
the party seeks no increase of territor
and disclaims all idea of an economi
war.
eve stand" says the report, "for tn
Immediate establishment, as part Of tn
treaty of peace, of a universal leagu
or society OF nations, a super nations
authority, with an international hig
court, to try all justihble issues betwee
nations, and an international legisla'
ure, to enact such common laws as ca
be mutually agreed upon, and an II
ternational council of mediation, to er
seavor to settle without ultimate cor
aict even those disputes which are nc
justidable.
"The world has suffered too muc
from the war for the Labor party
have any other policy than lastin
yeace.'