OIL FOR THE MACHINES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 12, Issue 291, 19 January 1945, Page 16

OIL FOR THE MACHINES

"LABOUR IN NEW ZEALAND, 1944. By A. E. C. Hare. Victoria University College. How many people realise that a labour force of close on half-a-million mans (and womans) the industries of New Zealand? This labour,army gives rise to as many problems as beset a military force of equal size. True there if not the same movement backwards ahd forwards across a térrain, but there aré manifold internal movements; some caused by remobilisation of labour power to méet changes in demand for commodities, some due to the desire of the individual to suit himself better. In this, his Third Annual Report as Research Fellow in Social Relations in Industry, Dr. Haré comments that the latter factor "represents a gteat économic wasté, and is equal to a yearly turnover of 27.6 per cent." The science and art of industrial relations will pethaps seem to those who have not bothered to think about it a minor ageticy in our economic life, the moré so as it issués no challenge to the futidamertal ideologies of modern timés; biit it is impossible to read Dr. Hare’s study without realising that this sathe science and art has a great and indispensable part to play. How great? As great as that of lubricants in thé machine world, as great as that of tact in social relationships. In both cases there ate problems of adjustment arising incessantly. In the case of industrial relations a "hot bearing’ not attended to is likely to devélop into the breakdown called a strike, but there are many arid sérious évilg short of that demoralising form of breakdown. It is hatd to resist Dr. Hare’s view that far too little attention has been paid to this matter of industrial relations in New Zealand in the past, and théré is definite if not great encouragement in his opifiion that the past two years have witnessed a change for the better, Besides treating of this, his main théme, he gives a summarised account of what has been taking place in thé industtial sphere during the past year. This account is presented with straightforwardness, admirable clearness and sobriety. With the aid of logic and facts, it cetitres atténtion on matters bound sooner or later to demand the consideration of that piiblic opinion which ultimately f ates all of @ democracy’s major verdicts. The sooner the better, one would think, for the full frictionless functioning of a nation’s peace atiny has to-day become quite as important for weal or woe as that of | ssa gmilitary forces. Maybé more so.

F.L.

C.