10 SEPTEMBER 1921, Page 3

Mr. Poulton commended the new General Council which is to

supersede the Parliamentary Committee of the Congress. It -would enable other unions to take " correlative action " if any union was involved in a trade dispute ; it would, he admitted, interfere with the cherished autonomy of each union. He went en to suggest that restriction of output was natural and even desirable. The hours of labour should, he thought, be reduced. Mr. Poulton • was evidently thinking of his own trade, in which short time has had to be worked because the price of boots was higher than most people could pay. The only result of his Policy -would be to reduce the supply of boots, thus raising the price still higher, lessening the demand, and creating still more unemployment in the trade. It is deplorable that, after all these years, the President of the Trade Union Congress should be found dinging to the outworn -fallacies of - the " Wage-Fund."

and unable to see that through increased production alone can the cost of living be reduced and the real value of wages raised.