The Cordova daily times., 1919-07-26
LABOR PROBLEM INENC LAND
 ISSERIOUS

LONDON, July 1 Correspondence of Associated Press) Recent in creases in wages of British workmer have been the subject of very serious debate by economists, employers and others as one of the bedrock prob lens of reconstruction, in the sense that the nation may stand or fall by it.
 Some say the question which con fronts British industry is whether the pendulum of wages may not swing SC high that production for competition with rival nations will become unprof itable and then impossible.
 Higher wages for all'' is the de mand of the organized and unorgan ized workers. With it is the cry fo1 shorter hours, better conditions oi living, freedom to meet the employer on plane of business equality, as two business men meeting together"
 More concentrated work, more in telligent work, and we will try to meet you" is the response from many em ployers.
 The question has been seriously raised here as to whether England in the past has not owed her pre-emi hence in the worlds industrial mar kets to underpaid British labor. That view was expressed by Frank Wander lip, New York banker, when he re turned to America a few weeks ago after spending several months ir Europe.
 There are shrewd business mer who contend that British labor has not been cheap, but considered solely as an item in the cost of production has been relatively costly when com pared with the labor of the United States.
 The topic came forward at recent informal gathering in London of Amer ican and British captains of industry Some were men who command great enterprises, who think in terms of mil lions of pounds and brigades of work men. Their talk dealt with the irOr and steel productions, shipbuilding the various industries and manufaC lures of machinery, motors, sewing machines and the like.
 The consensus of opinion among them seemed to be that the average skilled English workman of pre-wa1 times paid a small wage, got more money for what he did than the aver age American artisan, that the labor cost of producing commodities in this country was greater than for pro ducing similar goods in the United States.
 Limitation of output by trades unions and obstruction against labor, saving machinery, not lack of ability were held to be the chief reasons for SuudIl6I I0SuIIS ny b1ACAoh WOA h4A6 men. Speed up the work and you throw some of us into the street; more labor-saving machines and more men out of work to be supported by union funds" was the labor point of view.
 There is still another factor-the cost of beer. And that is rather a delicate question in some quarters. "If the United States goes dry, then God save England!" exclaimed Brit ish cabinet minister, discussing the industrial outlook.
 The beer item is considered by some economists relatively heavy one in the personal budget of the mass of British wOrkingmen, and an item that can not be left out of the reckoning in striking a balance for comparison of the workers of England with those of America.
 However, stands the dictum that England owed her past trade suprem- acy to underpaid labor, there are many observers here today who declare the outlook now is in the opposite direc- tion