The Washington times., 1924-05-12
BRITISH | ABOR
SEEK HIGHER
WAGES
Trades Unions RatIent Too
Lone, Says Frank Hodges.
Admiralty Chief.
BY LUTHER "A. HUSTON
nteraalonnl News service.

Il ssf8e& ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ~ ~ ~ AASs
LONDON. May ri. British
worlkingmen are going out after
more wages.
There IL well-defined opinion
that the time has come to put On
end to the postwar policy Of re-
ducing wages In order TO permit
Industry to recuperake it, war losses.
Those unions which accepted wage
REDUCTIONS after the war are now
clanimoring for the restoration Of
| pKeswar wage scales.
The trade unions Of this country
have for too long experienced low
wages, ID the way Frank HODGES,
who recently resigned the secretary
ship Of the Miners Federation to be-
como Civil Lord Of the Admiralty
IN the Labor government, puts It.
This has been largely due to the
action OF the governments since
1920. which supported measures Tor
wage reductions on the ground that
low wages Is the royal road to-
economic recovery. That theory no
longer stands. The countries IN
which there IL least unemployment
are the countries where wages are,
nlgheptI and the volume Of business
II greatest. because Of the purchas.
Ing power created by higher wages. /"
Dock Workers Won
a while ago it was. the dock.
Workers who launched q fight for
increases In pay. They won NO.
taDle victory. Their success Ii en-.
coura9ing other unions, and tho next
srade Union that will presa its claims
.0r iarger compensation Is the
miners Federation. Although he
nas resigned his official connection
With the miners organization.
t1ooges - Qualified to- state their
sa1e: Tor ne has been in the fore
taOls oL tine miners affairs for
What the miners want a. g.
sence. he said, sis that thew aho,iA
nave earnings at the naii1imI,yn rSei
wage they earned In 1914. n IN, nthe -
words, they ask for the 1914 800,
card OF life to be re-entahl,she1
liver since the great lock .o,,f -
1871, the miners have received No g.
wnlcn are considerably below -
1914 values. They have faIran -, ~
hcIl0n hitherto for two REASONS.
First, because their atrers-eI
SpnslderabIy weakened BY the erest
.2ck-out OF 1921. Secondly. haca, ,ss
S smey were always hoping tlaf !
Drlgnter time would come ana 49,.
Mvulo pe able to obtain, ont az 49,,
sSsreement with the owners wa ~.
OF living. rA ING cost
Living Costs HiRh
But the cost Of living ha. =.
= practically stationary and
IN my opinion, win not mnya ~.
si0e q radius Of ten points IN ~.
neAI decade. The wages az TIA
men under the present ecaia 80.
not catch up with the increase =,
the cost Of living, hence the I'm.
perallve need for an adjustment.
The miners are aaI,in0 ~, !.
ndsner mipimum wage within the
terms OF the agreement--that e.
the raising Of the minimum Il.
crease OF 20 per. cent 10 20 mar
cent-and they are asking the col.
iiery owners to take q lesser rate
CT profit than the agreement has
given them. Although the terrna
OF the agreement have in some dis
ulcts, meant semi-starvation to the
Workmen and complete loss OF
profit to some owners, they have
provided the extraordinary result
OF giving the owners as q whole
more than $125. 900, 900 profit IN
1898, which IL more than double
the profits they received In the
five years prior to 1914"
Men Have Been Patient.
Hodges contends that the de-
mand for wage increases, which
viii undoubtedly lead to q strike
on April II unless an adjustment
Is reached, 10 not a sudden devel.
opment. He declares that the men
have shown exemplary patience
for two years under ''scandalous
conditions; have brought produce
ton back to the pre-war level:
have absorbed their own unem-
plCyed and have enabled the ceun.
try TO heat its record exports Of
GOAL BY 1900, 900 tons.
The reward they now ask, Hodges
asserts. IL that they be given
wages that will restore their old
standards of living. II they get 1t
lea long period Of peace win be as
sured" II they don't get It a con-
flict that already constitutes a
i S1n6na ding cloud ON the British In.