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Hokitika Guardian, 21 March 1918, Page 2

In the course of a debate on Industrial Councils in the Lords recently, Viscount Milner said the House would expect from him some account of what had actually been done, and what the . Government were trying to do, to meet the special causes of industrial unrest to which attention had been called by the Commissioners in their reports. It was pointed otit by the Commissioners that tlie £1 a week maximum pay ought to be raised. That had been done by means of the Workmen’s Compensation Act.. The grievance of skilled workers who were receiving lower wages than some newcomers because they were not on piece work had been mot to a large extent by the recent .action of the Ministry of Munitions. The order affected between 200,000 and 300,000 workers, and tfie cost to the State of that single change amounted to between £5,000,000 and £6,000,000. 'lt was not the figure so much as the fact that the Government had taken this stop of their own initiative—certainly not under pressure—and because they believed it to be just. A third recommendation was that Pensions Coin mitteos should have a larger discretion in their treatment ,of men discharged from the army, and under the Royal Warrant of March 29th a much wider discretion was given. Up to the' date of that warrant the number of rejections averaged 2,084 a - month. Since (hen it was 97 a < month; Fourthly, there was a recommendation that agricultural wages should he raised to a minimum of 205., and the Food Production Act had already' given efFect to ’that recommendation. Then there were the bigger questions of food prices, housing, and industrial councils. With regard to the latter, the Whitley Report came to the Government ns a confidential document some time in Maroii. Tt was not fully considered by the War Cabinet till June, ft then met their unanimous approval, and they studied d. with very higli hopes as to the effect vhich might result from the adoption f the s.vstem recommended. A now (apartment was constituted and set to vork to get industrial councils estabishod as quickly as possible in the var. n»s trades. It was the intention of (ho Ministry to approach the' employers in certain trades which were ripe •‘or this system, and to cover as large a portion of the field as quicklv as possible. ■* <

This is the sort of’thing that a young New Zealander does as a member of the Royal Flying Corps:—‘‘With three other pilots he attacked an enemy machine' protected by ten others, shot it down, and destroyed another one the same evening. Shortly afterwards he and two others attacked five of the enemy, and although wounded and ren dered unconscious for the moment, he succeeded in driving down two of the enemy. In spite of being much exhausted by loss of blood, he continued liis patrol until he was sure.that no more enemy machines were in the vicinity.” Even in the unimpassioned language in which the “London Gazette” thus, describes the deed which won for Temporary-Captain (now a major and squadron commander)' Arthur C'oningham, of Wellington. the D. 5.0.. there is ample evidence that the young New Zealander showed splendid courage and fortitude. Private letters received in Christchurch some time ago indicated, however, that Jiis feat was even more notable than stated above. His observer was . shot dead early in the second encounter, and Captain Coningham himself escaped death only by the lucky accident of stooping over in liis machine, two bullets just as that moment cutting furrows along the top of his head. A moment earlier or later, and he would have been sitting upright, in which case either bullet would have killed him instantly. That he should have fought and beaten two enemy machines , witli the 'blood streaming from his wounds is a magnificent proof of his pluck. Major Coningham also holds the Military Cross. ,