AFTER THE WAR.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 January 1918, Page 7

AFTER THE WAR.

WHEN THE SWOKD IS LAID DOWN PLANS TO PREVENT UNEMPLOi - MENT. Speaking at Whitefield’s Tabernacle, London, recently, Mr G. H, Roberts, Minister of Labour, said tnat in conjunction with the War Office Minister of Labour had made, and was making, arrangements for the restoration of our soldiers to civil conditions. Already a great deal had been done, and the machinery already set up had proved to work smoothly, Men were being constantly dischargee from the army, and the employment exchanges and the Ministry of Labour had already provided employment for 62,000 of these discharged men. Ther department was establishing a Demobilisation Committee, and its main purpose was to establish machinery to proffer advice whereby people might work out these things for themselves,. They were asking representative employers and workmen, to come together on these committees, and' to advice the Ministry as to how they could best grapple with the problem. z “It may be that we" will have to enjoin patience, but all that is practicable will be done to expedite demobilisation. As to the rate, I cannot say, but as to the principles, I would point out that there are men who will be required to carry the demobilisation out. We shall seek to return earliest the men for whom situations are waiting, and incidentally there is a great desire on the part of employers to carry out their pledgesto the men and to take them back. Priority of industry, too, will, of course, have something to- do with 'it, and the men who have served longest are entitled to first consideration. -Those who are married or who have dependents are entitled to early consideration, too. With all these things in mind, we are preparing our plans to carry out demobilisation speedily and effectively with those reservations At the same time, I know that no matter what we do, there will be some grievances.” When the men returned they would want some little holiday, and every man would receive a month’s holiday with full pay and allowances. He knew that they coulc betrusted to spend their time in a rational manner. The plans for the release of munition workers were not so complete hut they were on very similar lines to the others. They would endeavour to see that contracts would be so arranged- that there should be as little unemployment as possible. If, after this war, we had an industrial war, then this country would never recover, and the decline and fall of the British Empire would be dated from that time. He hoped that the bringing together of the men with the employers would have a good effect upon the industrial world generally.