The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THUESDAY. DECEMBER 3, 1925 CO-OPERATION IN INDUSTRY.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THUESDAY. DECEMBER 3, 1925 CO-OPERATION IN INDUSTRY.

Co-oi’isnation in industry i.s most essential for sustained material progress. Yesterday we remarked on the need lor assured stability in industry in New Zealand to bring about real progress in which unionism would benefit the must. Here there stems to he an opj ortmmy whereby the liability to strikes might he minimised, and in that condition I here should he ical co-njH.wnt.ion developed. At Home the prospects are not so promising with the result that employers are experimenting themselves with plans to bring about a more stable state of affairs. While this i.s praiseworthy to a degree, it is not possible of universal application, and we see a * rather mixed state of aifairs arising. I However, as to the earnestness of the employers there can he no doubt, and the following interesting reference to the matter in a London commercial journal is of informative interest in regard to the subject, referred to: Within re.out years, says the paper, much has been said and written about the need for co-operation in industry, hut. as often happens, the important question ol' ways and means has either been overlooked or dealt with in terms of activities which involve controversy. 1 In this connection a valuable and interesting brochure has been issued by tile Industrial Welfare Society under the title of “Suggestion Schemes.” These schemes have proved remarkably .successful in many instances, and, properly organised, represent a simple and effective method of creating a spirit of co-operation in industrial and commercial concerns. The two essentials are the active interest in the management and scrupulously fair treatment of those who make suggestions of value to the firm’s business. One of the disturbing features of the growth of large-scale industry, the society points out. has been the tendency for the worker to become more and more an accessory to the machine. That old pride of craft which sprang from the conseioiiuues.s of having created something, and which was one of the of the main ingrcdinients of human happiness, has been placed sadly beyond the reach of the worker to-day. Can anything lie done to restore it ? A return to the old conditions lining out of the question, practical experience of suggestion schemes gives good reason for the hope that, run on adequate lines, they can lie of material aid to that end. Despite the limitations of modern industrial practice, they restore to the worker some measure of initiative and make him feel that, lie can prove hi- true worth. Tdens are democratic: they are no monopoly of some favoured group. Tf ideas will respond to the call of one who is trying to evolve, from within the four walls of an office, some improvement or economy. they will also respond to the call of those who arc in constant living touch with manual work, and whose minds, even in the hours of leisure, are never entirely dissociated therefrom. That it should lie necessary to reiterate so simple a truth may appeal' paradoxical. hut the root idea of a suggestion < heme, the frank recognition of the human factor in industry, lias not vet gained that wide and whole-heart-ed approval from employers that is its due. But even where that recognition exists there is often fear that any attempt to introduce a suggestion scheme may he met with suspicion or indifference. For the«e reasons the Industrial Welfare Society’s brochure, which is based upon the experience of many firms and gives detailed particulars of how to introduce and work suggestion schemes, will he simply invaluable to those desiring to establish such schemes in their works.

Published as a Parliament ary Paper the annual report on the progress of civil aviation for the year ended March 31st. last, issued by the British Air [Ministry, makes interesting rending.

On April Ist., 1924, the subsidized company known ns Imperial Airways, Ltd., came into existence, and on April 26th. the London to Paris route was opened, followed by the route London, Brussels, and Cologne, on May 3rd.; London to Aiii.sterdam-Hunover-liorlin on Juno 2nd.-, .-and Loudon-Paris-Bascl Zurich on June 17th. The Channel Island service has only been operating spasmodically during the period under review, and i.t is anticipated will not lie in regular operation before next year. In accordance with the terms of their agreement with the Government. Imperial Airways, Ltd., have completed during the year a total mileage- of 820.520. Tn this connection it is interesting to note, the report states, as a further instance of the durability of British aircraft material under good conditions of inspection, and maintenance, that up to March 31st. 11)25, one aircr: ift of the Handley Page type and two of the Do Haviliand 31 type have each completed about 2,300 hours of flying. representing about 200.000 miles each, and .three Napier “Lion” type engines have each run an average of 1.350 hours. A new company—Northern Air bines. Ltd. has come into existence during the year. '1 his oompauv. which has heen formed mainlt to eater for the carriage of newspapers and mails, opened a regular service between Belfast and Stranraer, on March 17th last, and is operating without the aid of a subsidy. This service will probably be extended in both directions —to Londonderry and to Carlisle. Included in tbo report are statistical tables of British civil aviation, from which it appears that a fall in air transport flying occurred, compared with the previous year the mileage having declined from 1.(104.000 to 800,000, and the number of passengers carried from 15,013 to 13.478. On the other liarnl the carriage of cargo increased from 427.1 tons to 508 tons. The traffic between (treat Britain and the Continent (excluding the Channel Islands) by foreign as well as British aircraft increased, as compared with the previous year, from 4,6t j. > to 4.832 aircraft. flights, and from 1 4.777 to 17.835 passengers carried. I lie British share of the passenger traffic, however, showed a fall to 58 per cent, from the high level of 70 nor cent, reached in the previous year. Ihe total value of airborne imports and exports during the year under review was £1.328.305. an increase of £445.102 over the previous year’s figure of £883.233. As an illustration of the efficiency ol the British sul»sidiz(‘il .services it iujiv lie mentioned that out of 4.328 stage flights commenced 04 per <en 1. weiv eompletod without interruption, and there was only one fatal nceideiii during the year, ill regard to airships, tic leoirt. refers l;, tl,e reconditioning ot the lt.B(i and stall's that it is intended In carry out. in addition to aerodynamical exneriment.s. mooring-mast tests and other semi-tropical conditions by a flight to Egvpt (luring the late spring of next war.