The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1928. VALUABLE WORK.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1928, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1928. VALUABLE WORK.

It is impossible to rend the press reports of the deliberations of the recent Indus trial Conference without appreciating that valuable work has been accomplished. It seemed very doubtful when the Conference was first mooted, that it could hope to achieve anything material, but the course of events soon indicated the desire for agreement, and common sense on both sides of the table led up to a sweet concert of agreement considered at one time to l>e as the pales asunder. At the same time, it has to be recognised, the Conference did not achieve a'l it was intended to do. 'Phis qualifies the agreements readied as the more stronger and lasting. At the same time though there was not final agreement on the method of settling labour disputes per medium of the Arbitration Court, there was a free exchange of views, and suggestions were put forward on both sides which in the end may be so assimilated as to provide a way out of the diniculty and tension presenting itself in the past. As one newspaper has put it, social and eoonorinic problems of an extremely complex character are not to be solved off-hand by a number of men sitting round a table, however well informed and well iictentioned they may be. But making reasonable allowance for the extreme difficulty of their task, wo can heartily congratulate the members of the Industrial Conference oil the value of the work that they have already accomplished ami the remarkable grand feeling and unanimity that they hare displayed. In a practical sense the most valuable result of the Conference so far is the report presented by the Joint Committee on several important topics submitted for its consideration. In every ease information of the utmost value has been compiled and recommendations of far-reaching scope and significance have been made. As regards unemployment, the report rightly discriminates .between periodic and accidental recurrences of this evil in an acute form; it urges co-opera-tion between workers, employers, and the State in the task of investigating the facts and suggesting remedies-; and it proposes that, in regard to the existing scarcity of work, the Government should provide “such funds as are necessary to cope with the situation.” As to immigration, the report recommends the enforcement of careful restrictions in regard to the type and class of immigrants admitted, and while emphasising the Imperial aspect of the problem, urges that oare should be taken not to flood our labour market unduly. But it seems to us that the most interesting feature of the Joint Committee’s report is its approval of the Ontario system of workers’ compensation. Under this system the fund for insurance against accident is made up entirely of compulsory auteariptions from all employers in the industry, graduated according to the degree of danger involved. The fund is administered by specially appointed State officials, and according to the Hon T. S. Weston, who may he regarded as an impartial critic, the system has had the effect of abolishing all litigation in regard to workers’ injuries where it has been applied. The Conference has now recommended the Government to inquire into the system with a view to its adoption here, and it- is important to observe that his proposal to make compensation for the injured worker a direct charge on the industry secured unanimous support. Mr Blood worth, speaking for the workers, and Mr Weston for the employers, have already testified to the public spirit and the entire absence of partisan feeling that have characterised these discussions, and in our opinion this report

alone is sufficient justification for the Conference.