OCR Text |
Show STEELE! HE IH01IE0 British Manufacturers Complain Com-plain as to Prices of Materials Ma-terials and Labor. LONDON, Sept. 6. (By the Associated Press.) British Iron and steel manufacturers manufac-turers are seriously wondering- whether they will be able to retain their home trade, not to speak of extending their export ex-port business, in the face of steadily increasing in-creasing prices or materials and labor. Americans who have looked over the situation situ-ation declare the British need not worry if they will adopt modern methods, for wages in the industry are much higher in America than they are in England. Anxiety is chiefly confined to makers of railway materials, tools, machinery, engines, en-gines, and those things which go fit out the completed ship's power plant. The British workman not only demands high wages, but he is charged with refusing re-fusing to give its equivalent in labor, thus cutting down production and making it impossible for his employer to fili contracts con-tracts on time. America, awakening to the demands of Europe, is getting tho bulk of the business, busi-ness, while Japan is a close second, according ac-cording to high trade authorities. Even Germany, with its rioting workmen and lack of raw materials, Is after trade, and, if reports can be believed. Is getting it. As an instance of tho trials which beset be-set British manufacturers, it is pointed out that one company, whose products had a world-wide sale before the war, has been able to obtain only one contract out of fvcn;y in competition with German ami t'nitcd States bidders. |