THE CHINA MAIE, MONDAY, JUNE 3, 1957.
How I See Britain Today
BRITAIN'S best-informed interpreter of what is going on in the inner circles of industrial power here begins a personal estimate of the problems affecting us all today. First focus is on "the crisis at the top" among Britain's 8,000,000 trade unionists
M
Can Cousins sit in this chair?
OURN for the lost leadership of the T.U.C. There should be no comfort in its decline
united, and commanding T.U.C. general council could be the most decisive single force in ensuring Britain's future prosperity.
So let's hope that the general council will recapture its tarnished prestige. And soon.
The diagnosis of the present malaise is easier than a prescription for its cure. There has not been an abnormal change in the personnel of the council's 35 members during the last two years.
Mr Frank Cousins, boss of the 'Mr Cousins has
Transport and General Workers,
is the outstanding new boy. But
he is now turning out to be more
a disturbing thon a unifying
factor. Mr Cousins is distinctive enough a personality to deserve close examination.
He has got almost all the
a dominant
passion....to
quailties which make for great escape from the
leadership. Almost is the opera-
live word.
He has a
fine communding mould set by his
figure. He has a quick mind. He has a tumultuous vocabul-
nry.
But he is a ship without a rudder. He has dot yet made up Els mind which way he is going. And he has revealed an embarrassing selfishness.
Gossip
THE affair of the latest Daily
And not
Terald directorship is still the male gossip theme among general council men, only because of rumours about It is be- the Herald's future.
Mr Frank Cousins is so cause importzet, which is why I repeat it here. When Dame Florence Hancock, one of the four T.U.C. ce the Herald board, directory *esigned carly this year Mr Cousins hoped for un accetest- ed nominatico.
Headaches
(BAYER)
Toothaches Colds
are •quickly overcome by
CAFASPIN
As
predecessors....'
But two other names were proposed. The result was Sir Tom O'Brion. 11 votos Mr Ernest Jones, miners' president 10 votes Mr Cousins .....
8 votes
Haste?
Why? TU.C. Partly because the has the conservative tradition of seniority, and Sir Tom was the susior Licanluce, and partly be- cause some of the members felt Mr Cousins was displaying
hasle in unseemly
coveling a Juley plum,
IR Tom got the job.
An
The incident would have been forgotten to a day but for Mr Cousins himself,
He said loudly enough for most others to hear that his massive 1,300,000 'vote will not be cast for Sir Tom O'Brien's re-election to the general council next September,
A passion
MR Cousins is certain to be
misunderstood. It he peralata
in this, for I am sure he is too big a man to be vindictive.
He may have other reasons for withdrawing support from Sir Tom, but the timing of his an- nouncement was unfortunate.
Mr Cousins has a dominant passion. It is to escape from the mould set by his two distinguish- ed predecessors, ...” Mr- Ernest Beyin and Mr Arthur Deskin.
Both of them, particularly Mr Bevin, contributed to the au- thority, and prestige of the T.U.C." general counc}.
Both of them were to the Right politically, recognising the
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value of trade union co-operation with organised employers and the Government of the day. Mr Cousins is determined to be different.
But he is not alene in build- ing up his own empire dependently of the general coun- ell. There are halt a dozen others of a like. mind.
Mr William Carron, the president of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, Is 0 good example of this school.
He has grown immensely in stature in recent months because of his courage and firmness--but only in the councils of his own union end of the Coofederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions often called the little 'T.U.C. because 40 unions are
afliated to it.
And Mr Ted HII, the boiler- makers chief, is another,
Powerless
WHEN they had their strlice back in March what did the TU.C. do? It took note" Qat the strike was on. It was faced with the humiliating reallen- tice that it was powerless. Even if it had wanted to lutervene it dare not,
by TREVOR EVANS
OCCUPIED
TUC
Their attempts to got comrade in the general council are now not much more than tokm fights,
over
BEVIN
that they will not have any interference with wagen.
And I suits them to izvore the decisive part they could play in reducing costs, bring- img down prices.
arch
thus
making present pay packete go further.
In four months', ime Charles
Geddes will be out of the pk Stirling Mosa, a boy of Surling was suitably apologetic.
school-marm
Д
ture. He retires in September, His going will be a loss to the TU.C. He has been te the country school, seeing the big boys in the playground getting bigger and rougher and knowing that when they come into the class roam they will listen only when
the mood sults.
Yet some day the lemos
which Geddes taught will be re- called, and possibly brought out of the cupboard again, but only when the big boys wish it.
Numbers
SIDE by side with this shrink-
ing influence two features have grown.
Easter Monday, 1948, old lady, had more to say, and
And so, to the. Prestcott Hi eighteen, short, stocky, cimb in May. He was racing sturdy, with a map of un- against old hands, like Brandon, ruly thick black hair, was a When his turn came, he went spectator at the Luton Hoo away in a blure of sound and going very last On his first Speed Triala, In the pad-run, he set up a new class re- dock he gazed with wistful cord for the climb. The record and greedy eyes at a low was broken later in the moet
of Stirling built racing car belonging to ing but the name
Mose appeared for the first time Eric Brandon.
In newsprint, The monthly It was one of the now magazine "Motor Sport" cum- | Coopers. It was in the 500 e.e. med up his performanNO thum (34 Iltro) class. Its J.A.P. "Moss drove his Cooper, really engine - bull primarily for stirringly, clocking 61.01 seconda speedway motor cycles — de on his better ascent". In motor veloped 38 B.H.P.
racing, only one thing in
tho
Gosh, thought the young long run really matters; the Sörling, that is the thing! That entries in the Record Book, year he must have! Then he shat- after year. Young Moss now other | tered this pleasant daydream by had lila first entry; and he was
reminding himself that a stan only eighteen years old, dard Cooper cost £675. With EDONCS, for racing, the price would be nearer 2. thousand pounds.
inter-
One is the TUC's national and Commonwealth-in- fluence. Its name stands higher now. particularly in Asia, Africa, and the West Indies, than ever before.
And, secondly. it has bulk up a better technical staff et ila headquarters than ever before. It is better armed and better served than in the days of kla growing up, when its
enemies were stronger.
Indeed, many of the greatest concessions it even won само because it was wealc and public ⚫ opinion demanded that it should be protected So many have forgotten that the legislation which made a strike a privileged occasion was passed more than
the chairman of the TUC., feel 50 years ago, frustrated
to
U
They have good reason think that a man with a sense
of responsibility is now at Only one Commúnist got Ho was Mr Bert discount.
Mr Pepworth,
put there by
This situation Ernest Bevin in the forlorn pope without
grave that added responsibility would
TU.C. be a taming Influence,
cannot go on harm to the
1
It can be cured only by * T.U.C. block votes for the past the T.U.C. now has ste
But the ganging up of the boom from Bloomsbury, where head- 10 years against the ablest of
All that is quarters. all Communist trade union lead-'
coming
ers, Mr Arthur Horner, of the from there now is a bleat,
effective Miners, has been an
Do not assume from this barricade against the Reds.
that the
general council is without als forseeing, thought--- ful, disturbed members. It has at least half a dozen of them.
Their say
what have the Communista done in reply? They have concentrated on key walons in
Workers.
I select two, Mr Charles Geddes and Mr Alan Birch, and apologise to the other four for not mentioning them here.
Now the T.U.C. is strong in numbers, Indeed, its chilet pre- Occupation now is to build
020
His number. It has gone crazy on organisation. If it is not cares ful it will become
3 merely
inden- publle corporation for Auret labour,
WH
Team job
Climb
Never mind!
A climb is a test of nerve and male Up for went Surjing's _BMW..
a class of Down driving ability but оп Stirling's head came
Stirling found the racing that
to obtuer wrath of his father and mother. boring. He wanted But in the end the young en track, at the same time as other
into compelllion on the
Barba thusiast won the day, and Cooper was ordered, Mr and drivers and his first circuit race Mrs Mosa accepted the in- was at Brough Airfield; and evitable. Stirling wanted to be here in addition to what in itself a racing driver. How could must have been an exhilarating. they really object, when motor new experience, he faced the racing had been one of the extra test of driving in the wet. great central interests of both This a test which even many of their lives.
Pest
The father and son
experienced racing drivers either cannot or will not face.
On a soaking, rain-slashed circuit, he demonstrated that wet weather is not a hazard but -A point of vantage for the who
who racing motorist
really. were the partners of Charles "drives" his car. The rain en- und John Cooper described ables him to gain precious young Stirling as a positive pest when he hung around their Burbiton works, watching his new car being built. Ho knew so precisely what he
wantedi
seconds over foster mes handled. by more timid drivers, and puts more speed--the potential speed of the car-Into le proper per- He was always hovering in the spective when compared with. background, asking alarmingly driving ability. Intelligent questions, and cl-. Stirling won his heat in the ready he had armed the value rain at 48.0 mph. and in the He final-with the rain now heavier of power-to-weight ratios, knew that in a racing car the than ever, coming down in
as. Is buckets *** won at an over. weight must be, as far reasonably possible, kept down. faster speed: 82.0 mp.h.
And now to try out the now
Handicap In the Eight Lap There was a pre- which followed, It was not sur treasure! liminary disappointment. The prising that Moss was put on organisers of the famous Shel- the back row of the grid, climb turned Nolting daunted, he proceeded sey Walsh Hill down the entry of 5. Moss and to come up through the field at and impressively rapid hls. Cooper. But the Bugatti an Owners' Club was less criideal sustained pace to win. Sheer
in driving skill in lashing rain had ̈ and Stirling found himself But it must
There were paid off. business at last,
WHAT'S the point of becom- ing a giant in body if the mind and the will shrivel?
The T.U.C. wants o.. not compass. It must make up a mind where it' ́ wants to and it can decide the of its journey. be a team job.
spoed
Ik Say. Sir
Oh, yea, Mr Cousina must be included. He could make or mor the TU.C.
estate
Blood
only two songs. The Cooper No one man cory do it. But was not yet quite ready. And half a dozen could
Stirling lind never driven the massive engineering group, These two represent the Thomas Williamson, Mr William Cooper before -- or any other And so, before he was nine- notably the Engineers, the Elec school which realises that the Carron, Mr Ernest Jones, Mr racing car, for that matter!
teen, the Stirling Moss story tricians.
the and
Foundry, TUC.. general council not only Jim Campbell, of the railway- The first snug was got over a
unfold Has a policy-making. function men, Mr Harry Douglass, of Lew days before the Prestcott hat already begun to
Itself, There were successes at: bal has to adapt itself to modern iron and steel and Mr Frank Hill Climb in May. The sleek Stammer Park, at Bouley Bay;
now Cooper was delivered. And So they now have a far bigger conditions. It has to think for Cousins,
the very day of his nine- the second snug was overcome And Goddes say in the "ttle TU.C." than tomorrow.
and in the top council of the whole Birch are doing more than their
when Eric Brandon took Stir teenth birthday at Goodwood; and at other at Silverstone movement. They bring a quite fair share of this kind of think
ling and his Cooper to a housing places, The old hands WEZO Influence on ing.
which had laid out beginning to take notice of du proportionate
the tem-
roads, but no houses yet-near Surling Moss, They could fore wage trends and on perature of industrial relations.
And they operate from the brow of a hill supported by voting 1.250,000, which is the strength of the confederation, while the leaders of the T.U.C. look down perplexed from o, and authoritative badya to All this is sweet music to the mountain bullt by more then examine
and wages, prices, Communists. It suits them to 8,000,000 men and women.
No costs. He knows already that have the general council køelated wonder such responsible lead he will be beaten-that Some in impotence.
ers as Sir Thomas Williamson, of the bigger boys will howl
Its advice was almost certain to be ignored, so it draped 11- self in the cold, comfortless mantle of silence.
A loss
NEDDES had much to do with
this des
And I sincerely hope he helps Chippenham, to make it.
TOMORROW
of an impartial I talk to those with a message
Surling for Britain...
A HORSE! A HORSE! "MY KINGDOM FOR A HORSE!
orld Copyright by arrangement with the Manchester Quardian
Cycle
see a brilliant future for him. And those who know Alfred Mom and his wife, knew also driver how much the young owed to his parents.
Moes watched. Brandon trying
There is the always ins out the Cooper. With the thus beca, speed in the blood of ding crackle of the 500 cc. Stirling Moss. But without the coming
and from his exhaust, the constant help, sympathy car was off like a bomb. Young guidance of his father and stared thoughtfully. mother, his story over the last But once he himself sat in the nine years might not have been. cochopit, he suddenly felt full of the crescendo of triumphs it has confidence. Up through the boon. His father and moller gears he went." This was the today, still ardent fane, try to ife! Then, seemingly from no: follow him round Europe, where, an elderly lady shot watching all his big ricez neroes hy bows on 1 blcycle. That means a lot to Surting
would be hard to say who Mors.
It
was more frightened, Stirling..
as he shot off the road, or the
old lady. Certainly, when they
had, bois come to a, halt,
the
TOMORROW.
A British Champ in British Cars.
Music at McGill
Montreal. heroine (the Fur Lady borself) TY FUR LADY,” # "went professional" on May 23: "M now musical comedy The book ishod Canadian andi lyrics poke fun
by McGill University law Institutions. The presentation of, students has taken this city debutantes, for instance, is call- od "ong of Canada's most by storm.
treasured tribal customK” 22.
Student Critics don't, call
James producer. the
Donville said the show was just authors Canada's Rodgers written as another college revur and Hammerstein because but “it might have been a ká there are at least five of worse. Wo've had professional them, but credit them with guidance from the beginninga Bocessity for any · student pro- a sparkling musical satire duction."
on the Canadian way of Choreographer Belan Mac- .life.
donald gave the show its smooth Anlah Now a. fet 'profconfonal "Canada is British or French dancers and singers are all that by origin, American by permis gooded to strenghten the Bion and Canadian caly by per polished cast.
|_ BOVETRNCO," saya one linazi
Although the budding. Lawyer's
The show is witty and wise studies
enough to "esta critics to un-
were *saglooted a mak
unimously acclaim. One defined winter, Domville claims that the
"Ahora muccoss' more thak the humour mature
The revue, with apologies to ww.ve. Lorned, a creative n better known. Broadway mutal" veriliha town' and hope to remain 013, sad respecta to`sa "Taking du such,” bu mið.