WORLD'S LABOUR PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 266, 6 August 1919, Page 6

WORLD'S LABOUR PROBLEM

SIR JOSEPH WARD ON THE LABOUR CHART IJII,

Uy Tekcraßli.-T.'reßu Aaioclatton. ; . , Auckland, August 5. "One of tho far-rtachitg and important subjects dealt with by the Pease Conference," said Sir Joseph Ward, "is contained in the- Labour charter which is attached to tho peace covenant, and in intended to deal with Ice Labour problem. Tho chuiter affirms a great principle, but its practicability most remain more than in doubt uiitil nil great iountries are included in it. Two <>f. tho Great Powers, United States and .>a»an, have not subscribed to it. It u:rtainly was disappointing to me that the great protagonist who represented America found it .necessary for iiiti'tnul political reasons to have tho United Stales excluded from the proposals of the labour charter. In tho cuso of Japan, her acquic-scencß'-is postponed for a period of live years. Obviously, if the counJ tries who havo given their adhesion to it weio to enact by local legislation similar rates of pay and hours for labour in various industries, they wuuld be in a position of having to compete flith all other great countries frco of any such responsibility, and the stiructuro the foundation of which w&s laid at Paris would be unstable in its real effect. Nevertheless. ■ it is a gvcat move forward that a commencement has bewi made. "The idea is a fine one," commented Sir Joseph Ward, "and I should dearly hko to see.it generally adopted and inally carried into effective operation. After all it is a task of great magnitude and miich perplexitv to tackle a world-wide problem affecting so many different rpces with different local conditions, and if a universal , system were evolved in a period of five or even ten years it would be next door to a miraclo. The opinion 1 torn is that each part of the Bnhsii Empire as well as each of the great countries Hhat were represented at the Peace Conference will require to work out its own problem as affecting Labour within its own bounds, and through its own legislatures."