The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1947-11-27
us. AID TO EUROPE
IS 'L|FE-AND-O
ISSUE, SAY LAbOR|TE.

Washington (LPA)-Jennie Lee,
British Labor Member of Parlia-
ment, told reporters here last week
that the acceptance of limited di-
rection of manpower by the Brit
ish trade unions is a sign of their
political maturity. They realize,
Miss Lee said, that the economic
crisis that confronts Britain today
is as great an emergency as was
the war itself.
"Both the American and British
press have overplayed every strike
in Britain since the coming to pow
er of the labor government" the
black haired, eloquent spokesman of
the Scottish miners pointed out.
"They have not cited the statistics
of increasing production, declining
absenteeism, nor troubled to tell
US that after the first World War,
when the Tories won the elections,
there was ten times the number of
man hours lost through industrial
disputes as there have been under
the present Labor Government"
Miss Lee, whose husband is
Aneurin Bevin, Minister of Health,
and himself a former Welsh miner,
is the daughter of a Scottish min
ing family. She has been visiting
America for three weeks, to tell
Americans the truth about the La
Dor government, speaking under
the auspices of Americans for De-
mocratic Action in several cities.
American economic assistance is
a matter of life and death to democ-
racy on the European continent, ac-
cording to Miss Lee. She does not
see Britain's position as being quite
that desperate, but feels that AM
erican assistance would greatly aid
her country in it's drive for more
production, and would ultimately
permit the relaxing of some of the
restrictions on consumers which re-
suited in a temporary drift away
from the Labor Party in the Octo-
ber municipal elections.
On one point Miss Lee was very
outspoken: Britain will not ac-
cept any further economic aid from
America which carries with it re-
strictions upon the governments
program of socialization and in
creased social services, or which
would in the long run slow down
the economic rehabilitation of the
Island.
The reestablished wartime con-
trols on the movement of labor will
be dropped just as soon as possible,
Miss Lee is sure. Productivity en-
ployed workers will not be affect
ed, but the temporarily unemploy-
ed, the loafers-regardless Of their
backgrcund-will have to be given
choices from among several key in
1ustries, in which additional man.
power is needed. Miss Lee offered
the best definition heard to date
Of the term "spiv." "a spiv," she
said, ais a rather glossy fellow
easy money in some dub
ous exchange process"
In the old Britain, she said, the
Britain Of the Tories there was a
system of priorities based upon
,ne's wealth and social position,
which determined how much milk
mes children got, their education
opportunities, and the conditions of
I'D age. Today there is a new sys-
em Of priorities. All children get /
IN equal share of milk, and equal
lccess to education. The hated |
means test" has been abolished in |
he old age and unemployment in
urance laws. Today social injustice
5 considered "bad manners" in
according to Miss Lee.
Commenting upon the reports of |
ack of cooperation on the part of |
he coal miners, Miss Lee pointed
,ut that the miners who had just |
von the 4O-hour week have volun- |
arily agreed to work an extra half |
lour perday. Although the average |
miner passes his peak working abil-
ty at 27, over 40 per cent of Brit
inns coal face workers are over |
10 years of age and 20 per cent |
'ver so. Consequently the men are |
% tired at the end Of their stand
rd work day that to live up to
he extra half hour agreement they |
ave decided in many areas to re-
urn to work on Saturdays, Miss
ZEE said proudly, thereby sacrific-
ng the Friday night filings and
rests that they had
ought so hard to get.
Under the governments pro-
ram Of extra rations and new
lousing in the mining areas larg-
r numbers of young men are be-
ng attracted to the industry than
ave been for a number Of years,
Iiss Lee said. This means that it
,ill be gradually possible to relieve
he older men Of their hard jobs
t the coal face. British agricul-
ure too is being remodeled under
he Labor government. Already
which produced only 40 per