SECOND DIVISION PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 255, 16 July 1918, Page 6

SECOND DIVISION PROBLEMS

4 . EQUALITY OF SACRIFICE DISCUSSED BY CENTRAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. At tho meeting of the council of the Wellington Central Chamber, of Commerce ihe following resolution from the Nil pier Chamber was submitted for endorsement :— ; "jnat this chamber circularise all other chambers ot lommerco in Ihe Dominion requesting that they co-operate in urging upon tho Government' the advisability ot apiiointing a Board of Control in regard lo all trades, businesses, and professions, eo us to put on a more equitable- footing those men who havo been called up tor military service, especially with a view of compelling those who are left behind to make equal financial sacrifice with those called up." Mr. L. A. Edwards said that the resolution hardly met the case as he understood it. Take the case of two men in Class C of the Second Division—one was called up, the other was hot. Who could adjust the difference? Take a personal case—his own. He was called up, but being two or three months over 41 jeara of age he was turned down, though fit, and another man in tho eamo lino of business, also fit but three months younger, had to go into camp. He had to give up his business, his house, and risk lifo and limb whilst he (the speaker) was completely free except being liable for home service. That was manifestly unfair, but what could one do? He said, as he hall said before, that the "ivholo of the man strength of tho Dominion should have been enlisted for national service on the same day that conscription was enforced. Then there would havo been work for everyone to do. A fichemo should have been evolved to utilise the services of everyone for essential, work, but no 'euch scheme was formulated or even attempted, and so inequalities existed A great deal of labour and money would havo been saved had the Government taken tho matter in hand, .., m '\ there would have been more equality of sacrifice. He 'did not see, however, how they were ever going to bring ■ about equality of financial sacrifice. He did not think that was a practical suggestion. The president (Jlr. C. M. Luke) said that he understood that the National Efficiency Board had an idea of pooling tho interests of those in certain classes of trade, so that the absentees would not suffer, or would suffer as little as posMγ \ L. Hunt mentioned that committees" iiad been set up to act with tho Efficiency Board, and he had been appointed to one of them, l>ut for certain rensons. had. retired. Mr. Edwards said that ho would like to help tho, man called up as mucn as lay in his power, but being in the sameline of business how could he go in and help in the management of a business that competed with his own? It was linposMr; TV. Cotton said bis two brothers, who were in a big way in Nelson nil fruit-growers, had both passed lut A_antt had to go into camp on October 16. rhey had asked him to ascertain what they were to do-were they to- carry on as usual, or what? There seemed to bo no one to Ml or advise them what to do. One of them had applied to the Financial Assistance Board for .£350 a jenr (presumably as compensation for tho loss of his business), but without result. Others in the line might be prepared to assist him, but to allow them to go into his affairs was a very, ticklish business. He thought that in such cases the .Government should take over the business and pay compensation. • Mr Hunt said the resolution was rather vague. It was no .use going into individual instances; the matter had to be eoiie into broadly and seriously. When cases did crop up such as. had been mentioned, and were referred to the National Efficiency Board, the board referred the oases to one of the committees most closelv in touch with the business concerned and they went thoroughly into the matter. They asked, the owner whether there was any friend or relative whom he would like to nominate as trustee, and if so he was allowed to control the business under tho guidance of the committee. "He was not compelled to nominate a member of the comniittee. His clipice was a wide ouo-it was anyone he cared to nominate, it was not supposed that such-an arrangement was as satisfactory as if. the owner •n-ero in charge-a man's business rcust always Buffer to some extent if he went ftwnv He did not know how they could get equality of sacrifice even if businesses were controlled by a board. Hie only suggestion he could make was by war of a graduated income tax-that was the only way of getting at it. Then there wero tiio companies.' They went on only subiect to changes of staff hero .anrt there, but with many of them no great changes took place-so different compared with the single proprietary businf!r. Edwards' agreed with Mr. Hunt that the subject was one that they could not view lightly. Here was a chance for the hiains of the chamber to fee if they could not ovolvo a workable scheme or submit suggestions to that end which would be of some practical use., he thought 'it was impossible to arrive at anv equality of financial sacrifice-there wro men who must make inoro sacrifice than others. He suggested that the question be referred to the executivo for a • report. : This was agreed to.