BELGIUM TO-DAY

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 306, 20 September 1921, Page 9

BELGIUM TO-DAY

RECOVERING FROM EFFECTS OF WAR INDUSTRIOUS AND ACTIVE PEOPLE Mr, J. E. H. Findlay, C.8.E., in "Timo and Tidf" gives an interesting sketch of the way in which Belgium is renewing its strength after its ordeal in the fiery furnace of war. "In Belgium before the war," ho says, "many necessary reforms had been begun; commercial enterprise was at its height, but instead of peace, to consolidate their prosperity the Belgians were plunged into all the horrors of a long E'UTopean war that meant foi** them the paralysis of their industrial development. “The destruction throughout Belgium has been singularly unequal. The industrial region has suffered out of all proportion to tho agricultural area. While every effort was made by tho Germane to ruin Belgium industrially, to ensure their own food supply they had to foster Belgian agriculture, and so we find in Bcdgium, as in other lands, that the workers on tho land, the farmers, in-, oritably grew rich in war time. "The question of housing, a difficulty arising in all countries since war, is especially acute in Belgium, where the shortage is aggravated 1 by the destruction of so many towns and villages, and by the enormously increased cost of construction. Belgium is passing through a financial crisis, her colonial development is at a standstill, and all her schemes of reconstruction are hampered by lack of capital. Germany was in the past the natural hinterland of Belgium, and trading between Belgium and Alsace was on the meet favourable terms, terms which it is hoped France will not alter. Courage and Determination. "The people are facing the work of reconstruction with a courage and determination truly praiseworthy. Great strides have been made towards the re-establishment of normal conditions. Much needed education reforms are being introduced, and, if the Belgians are able to carry out the housing schemes which they have in view, their garden cities and modern workmen’s dwellings should bear comparison with the best in any other country. The cooperative societies aro coming to the rescue of tho Belgian war sufferers, and aro advancing to the individual a proportion of his war indemnity, which allows of his beginning to rebuild his house and restart his commerce without waiting for the often deplorable delay of Government departments. "Home labour has long been a feature of Belgian industry, differing in many respects from tho sweated labour of the East End of London; it generally formi only a supplement to the earnings 01 uio family. The most important of these homo industries was lace making, which was practised by a considerable proportion of the working-class women in Belgium. "The payment of these home workers, payment naturally by piece work, is very low. Ten or fifteen years ago the day's earnings of a lace maker, for 10 or 12 hours’ work, was anything from 1 to 2 francs. Undoubtedly, had such work formed the sole means of subsistence, it would have meant starvation, but these occupations wore almost always carried on in the spare time available from attending the little croft. There are several reasons why, in spite of the miserable payment, homo labour has for long had so firm a hold among tho Belgian working classes. "The homo worker has, for one thing, more liberty than he would have in the factory; ho can talk, and smoke, and stop to drink a glass of beer, and time his work to suit himself, and we must remember that homo labour is not in Belgium, as in Great Britain, a new development. It is an old custom that has been in foro» for'Centuries, and is only now gradually dying out. Undoubtedly nowadays young lace makers in Hie villages could earn bigger wages by working in the factories and in the towns, but the parents often prefer to keen I heir children nt home, contributing by their lace making or other employment to tho upkeep of tho household. There is. too, the great difficulty of enforcing, better navment in the individualised nature of the work, and Hie cnnrconc-t lack of organisation on the part of the works unable ta prevent often shameless exploiting on the part of the middleman. Facility of Transport. "Ono factor that has greatly influenced the economic and social life of Belgium is the marvellous facility of transport accorded to tho working classes. Belgium has, for its size, not only the longest railway system in Europe, but also a wonderful network of light railways. The excellence of the system and the cheapness of the fares have made it possible for the industrial population to bo spread l out over a wide area, instead of being crowded into two or three big cities, to live sufficiently far out. of the town to cultivate little gardens, nnd if the houses are in many cases small and poor a least the inhabitants are not overcrowded in the wretched tenements that one. finds so often in the big industrial cities. “Transport, however, alone cannot solve the housing problem, one of the most international to-day, and there are dwellings in Belgium that, in lack of sanitation, dirt, and overcrowding, can compare with the worst examples of our slums, but of such there are in comnarieon a very much smaller proportion, owing principally to this cheap and rapid transport, which tempts the workman to profit by tho many advantages of having his home in the country. "Drunkenness in Belgium is as rarely seen as in any other foreign country, and that in spite of the fact that the consumption of alcosol in Belgium is unusuallv high, for tho Belgian drinks at all times and in all places. "It is strange to find that in so progressive and civilised a country ns Belgium education should be so far behind, and tho number of illiterate persons so considerable. But the explanation is dimple; education has been for long the bone of contention between the political and religious parties, and in consequence suffered. It has been broadly estimated that from 10 per cent, to 16 per cent, of the children attended no school, a condition of things which was a. real disgrace to a country such ns Belgium, with its high standard of civilisation.”