New-York tribune., 1919-02-28

there were faults on both sides, the
Premier said. The workers should
feel that they had an interest in in
dustry and the employers must place
more trust in the workmen. He hoped
that by summer the cost Of living in
the workingmans household would be
reduced four shillings a week. Half
end Of March, he hoped
In his reference to the industrial
situation, Mr.. Lloyd George declared
the atmosphere OF suspicion was
thickening instead of clearing There
were faults on both sides, he con-
ceded. The old sectional controversies
must be gotten rid of, the Premier
insisted. we will do that gradually"
he said
The parliament was opened by Sir
Robert Stevenson Horne, the Minister
OF Labor, who was supported by Pre-
mler Lloyd George, Sir Albert Stan
ley, president of the Board of Trade;
George Fl. Roberts, the Food Con
troller; Thomas James Mcnamara,
Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabi-
net, and Sir D. J. Shackleton, perma-
nent secretary of the Ministry of La
Dor.
National Factories Opposed
In his address in opening the Parl:a-
ment, Sir Robert Horne, Minister of
Labor, said that the government did
not favor the establishment of national
factories, as such step tended to
hamper private enterprise.
With regard to working hours, said
Sir Robert, the government desider the
opinion of the conference on such a
national question as the arranging of
minimum wage, with particular ref
erence to women.
The early hours or the session were
marked by an assertion, boldly made
by labor, of it's independence and
power. Chairman Brownie of the
executive council Of the Amalgamated
Society of Engineers, emphatcally
warned the government that "the
country was not going back to the
social and industrial conditions pre-
vailing before the war" Banging his
fist on the table and addressing him
self directly to Premier Lloyd George,
Brownie declared:
"The workers Of England along with
the other workers of the world are
longing for a higher life-a better life.
On behalf of my own organization |
plainly say that our demands are not
yet ended. | hope to negotiate with
you, Mr.. Prime Minister, for a fur
ther reduction of hours of labor"
DclSbdtc DfOWnllc suggested that
there was a chance for Premier Lloyd
George to get the PePace Conference
to regulate labor conditions through
out the world.
What Workers Demand
James Henry Thomas, Member of
Parliament and general secretary of
the National Union of Railwaymen,
said he was deputed to make the fol-
lowing observation for the triple alli-
ance of miners railwaymen and trans
port workers:
THE organized workers of Great
Britain have made up their minds to
obtain for themselves an increasing
share of the wealth which their labor
has produced and produces. The work
ers of the threefold organization are
determined to shorten materially the
hours of labor in their respective in
dustries. They are dissatisfied with
The system of society which treats
their labor power as a mere commodity
to be bought, sold and used as though
they were machine-hke units in the
process Of wealth production and dis
tribution, and they therefore demand
that they shall become real partners
IN industry, jointly sharing in deter
mining working conditions and manage
met.