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The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3802344
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OUR LONDON LETTER.
THE MINERS' EIGHT-HOUR .DAY.
BUSINESS DIFFICULTIES AND
SUCCESSES.
(litOVI otu COltlli'-SI'OXDnNT.)
LONDON, July S.- Last week Musso- lini announced that in futuro his country- men would have to work nine hours a cluy, anti he added that Italian working men would hnve agreed to a 10-hour day if he bad ordained it, Britain bns not reached this state of fiiilnnissivencss, hut the Go vciimieut's bill enncling nu eight-hour day foi miners suggests that facts are milking some people learn economic wisdom. Un foitiinutely others aro kicking agninst the pricks, and the leight Hollis' Day for Millers Bill lins aroused moie bitter feel- ing tluin nny legislation in recent memory The bill represents the shnltciing of a grout hope. In recent yenrs the standard of living for the great lunts of the British workers lins vastly Improved. Wages are higher and hours uro shoitcr than bcfoie the war. Insurance nets and oltl-nge pen- sions represent a large, if indirect, addition to ? earnings. The proposed return to an eight-hoin day for miners, however, is a public admission that these reforms, dosir nbfe ns they aro, may have been proceed- ing too quickly. Tho Eight Hours Bill Is morely permissive, and it lepresents a re- turn to n state of things existent compara- tively icccntly. Before the general strike ni May there were a millio> .tucmployed in Britain. The general strike and the coal strike which followed have added 000,000 people tu thof« in receipt of the dole, nnd there imp almost 1,000 "00 moro miners idle beenuse coal cannot be sold with profit. This Is the fact which necessitates a re- vision of the seven-hour day for miners Until the labour innrkct^nbsorbs t' two or three million workers it is useless to proceed with reforms, however lesirnble, which increase the cost of living.
' MR. J. II. THOMAS SCOTtKS.
This week the National Union of Hail way-men lins been in congress at Wey- mouth. Mr. Dobbie, in his presidential ad- dress, described the Government ns serving the ends of the financiéis,,while those who volunteered during the general strike were described ns "scabs" in Oxford bags and plus fours. Of Mr. Baldwin Mr. Dobbie said:-"If tho typical ''nglish gentleman is a hypocrite, then Mr. Stanley Baldwin is a typical gentleman. Ile advertises him- self as the man of pence. Tho lunn of peace has always been engaged in fighting the workers, and during the general strike he fought finnkly, openly, and viciously to defeat them His activities during the struggle in the mining industry prove hill) n dangerous hypocrite, gaining his ends by posing as a friendly disposed opponent rather than by the bluht but more straight- forward methods of his Cabinet colleagues." The speech was mnde ngninst the counsel of Mr. J II. Thomas, general secretary of the National Union of Railway-men, and was reilly part of au attack upon the moderates in the union. Fur from. the extremist«- being successful, Mr. J. H. Thonins nnd the moderates obtained n vole of confidence with onso. Only seven out of 80 delcgntes at tho conference fnvourcd Mr. Tliomns's resignntion or obj'edled to his netinn in calling off the general strike
DIITICULTIES OP CAPITAL.
Scarcely a -week passes without nome great British company omitting a dividend or announcing heavy losses. A week or so ago John Brown and Company, the fam- ous shipbuilders, omitted their ordinary dividend for the first time in SO yenrs. Evcu successful compmrics nro making heavy losses in eerlnin deportments of their busi- ness, though they muy contrive to make profits in other directions, The 'Birming- ham 'firm of Client, Keen, and Nottlcfold produced no fevvor than 4,500,000 tons of conl hist year at n loss, though their profits upon screws and other products Bnvcd their balance-sheet from the admission of fnibil e. The elim'rninn of Guest Keen, and Nettle fold snid Hint health and unemployment in- surance alone cost his company £132,000 in 1025, adding that the cost of poor-law re- lief, workmen's compensation, old-age pen- sions, and health and unemployment insur- ance cost Britain 78/0 n henel of population, or more thnu twice the cost in Gorinimy. and 25 times the cost of similar services in Frunce und linly.
THE MOIÎIIIS C.VItS. .
. Astonishing success hns attended the Morris-Oxford arid Morris-Covvley motor- cars. This business lins been floated as ii public company, with a capital »i £5,000,000, £3,000,000 being 7J per cent, preference shares, and £2,000,000 ordinary shares. Last season the compnny sold 40,750 cars, and already this year it has taken orders for 09,000 cats. The turnover last year was £20,000,000. Mr AV. U. Morris began business life at the age of 17"yenrs, after a few months' training ns nn assistant in a bicycle shop, with a enpitnl of a few shillings. Within n year he was employing five men and had -tinned out 50 blcyeicB, most of which were sold to friends. After 10 yenis' work Mr. Morris lind contrived to save £4,000, and he determined to try his luck with n populnr light car. Unfor-' tmititcly the war broke out, nnd Mr. Morris lind to work upon muuitious. At the,end of the wnr nil his plnnt had to bo scrapped, and in 1010 he bogan nguiu, but this time willi n ensh capital of £45,411. This capital lind giown to £3,358,000 last December, of which £700,000 was represented by Na tionnl Wiir Bonds. Interviewed this week, Mr. W. R. Morris set out the principles which hnve guided him in life. Ho snid: "I begnn With nothing. I hndn't even n £5 note. But although 1 wns only 17, I felt Hint W. it. Moiris would pny me ii higher salary than anybody else. So I started to work for W.ü. I hnve never been guided by anyone. I have always plnye-d off my own but. 1 hnve listened to advice fiom _bankers, nnditois, and solici- tors, nnd still I have gone my own way Ai-lieu 1 thought they were not seeing far enough. I have! done many things alto- gether against engineering principles. Tiwi is how (ho car wns wade, and that is bou- lt grew." ,