Evening star., 1926-06-18
FINDS HIGHER PAY
NEED IN ENGLAND.
Ship Designer Ascribes Brit
aims Troubles to Employ
ers' Attitude.
BY j. G. ROYI.F.
Special Dispatch TO The star.

>tnclaI llspat'n 10 ne SldT.
NEW YORK. June 1s-No matter
on what basis the English coal strike
is settled, Great Britain has many
other problems to solve before state
of economic and business prosperity
can exist. That was the statement
made today by William F. Gibbs con
ditioner of the Leviathan and de-
signer of the largest ship ever built in
an American yard, which will be
launched next week
Mr.. Gibbs has just returned from
a careful study of conditions in in
duStry and commerce in Europe.
1T seems to he the feeling of Eng
lish business men that the only way
to raise profits is to reduce wages.
he said. THAT policy can never yield
the result desired. The business sal
vation of England lies in advancing
wages, not In coal mining alone hut
in all lines. II Is necessary to in
crease individual efficiency, to in
crease opportunity for the workers
and to rouse initiative before Great
Britain can become the market for
her own products or American prod
uCts which she could. and should.
Prosperity Of America.
"rhe prosperity of America has
been based on a policy of paving high
wages demanding efficiency. develop
Ing quantity production and making
customers out of employees. Conse
quentlv we have developed a buying
power and created demand for our
own products which has made Amer
ica her own hest customer. No satu-
ration point Is in sight.
England. on the other hand, has
ahout reached the satura tion point
for consumption of her own products
and ours. She apparently is willing.
anxious and able TO develop foreign
markets but she has neglected the
possibilities of the 50.on0.000 people
within her own borders. One reason
is that general opportunity for the
workers does not exist.
I'm general. the British workman
Is willing to remain in the Une of
work in which he started and have
his son do the same. He is not
efficient because he has become
imbued with the idea that the more
he does the less work and pay there
will be for his fellow workmen. The
employing class is class apart, with
little knowledge or real understand e
ing of the men and women they EN-
ploy. In America, on the other hand.
have como 80 recently from the
ranks of the workers that they have
a full appreciation Of the needs. de-
sires and trends Of thought of the
people under them.
Workman Needs Incentive.
What the British workman needs
is an incentive such as high wages
would apply"
Mr. Gibbs declared he doubted
whether II would better conditions
for one or two firms to raise wages.
He indicated that temporarily this
might place them under a severe
handicap until practically all those
in the same line Of industry took
similar steps. He himself is big
employer Of labor.
In speaking Of the practical re-
suits OF his theory as worked out
on the Levia than. Mr. Gibbs said
The English shipping men said
We could NOT operate the Leviathan
successfully under the American
shipping laws We proved we could
and We accomplished il bv making
il plain 70 every member Of her crew
that opportunity was open for ad
vancement. We had iron discipline
on hoard. but no brass hat business.
Good work was recognized by pro
motion"