Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 6th, 1917. NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 August 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star MONDAY, AUGUST 6th, 1917. NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

The • recornednation of the Efficiency Board to tlie Government on various subjects, regarding which a certain amount of curiosity has been manifested derive, . says the Otago Daily Times their interest mainly from their application to the problem of industrial service. The community, taken as a whole 'suffered so little dislocation, comparatively speaking, as a result of the war, that it has shown, no very lively concern about the institution of measures of a precautionary character designed to prevent further disorganisation. There may be an awakening ahead of it in this matter. It. is, at any rate, recklessness and folly of adhering to the belief that sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. And it is important that it shouia realise that the national efficiency is a consideration of the utmost moment to New Zealand at the present timo. The most far-reaching of the recommendations of the Efficiency Board is that relating to the industrial problem created by the withdrawal oi men for aotive service and becoming accentuated as draft after draft of reinforcements is mobilised. The Board . urges the organisation of industries and the introduction of legislation giving the Government such a measure of control over individuals as will admit of the utilisation of the working power of the dominion to the best advantage.; The recommendation is, in its fullest sense, certain to be regarded with very different feelings, according to the 5 view that is taken as to the manner in which the adoption of it would operate in practice. But the hoard to a large extent disarms criticism by the qualification which attaches to its recommendation. It holds, truly, that any attempt to' transfer labour compulsorily from ono private occupation to another undejr private employment for ordinary trade profit would cause most ‘ serious industrial difficulty. It would be not merely most impolitic on the part of the Government to attempt

any arbitrary diveyeiojtbf labour hxm one occupation to another under private "employment, but it also would bo most unjust. Nor is it really necessary But it is certainly time for the Government to look ahead and see whether it can devise an effective system of national service for war purposes into which the element of private profit would not enter at all. It would be absurd to suggest that men should be employed at war pay rates in.doing any work of which private employers would reap the benefit. But in mo could not be the same, or any legitimate, objection to such men being being required to servo the Government in work of national importance Nor is tho board’s proposal that provision should be made for the dilution of labour during the war period open to- any insuperable objection. The recommendations of the board respecting racing, amusements, and tho licensing issue during the war period posssess a general interest, but they cover points which, as wo observed at tho time when the order of reference was issued there was no occasion w* rofer to the Efficiency Board at all. There may be a general agreement that racing is non-essential, that the liquor trade is non-essential, and that picture shows are non-essential, but it needed no Efficiency (Board to tell u„ this. The question as to the „ policy that should be adopted in relation to amusements and indulgences is one upon which tho Government and Pnrlia should-be able to make up their minds without reforenco at all to the members of tho Efficiency Board, whose conclusions on the subjects are expressions of personal opinions, based on ob'asrvations that 'come within tfie common experience of all classes of the publio.