The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-08-31
RECONSTRUCTION
AFTER THE VAR
Largest Question Will Be Carrying Out
Governments Pledges to the
Labor Unions.

London, Aug l.-(correspondence o.
The Associated Press A vast sphere
of work lies before the new British min
lister of reconstruction. whose Office has
Just been added TO those included in tn,
British cabinet. Premier Lloyd George
is firmly convinced that the foundation
for the complex work of reconstruction
after the war ought to be begun at once
even if ii is at first confined TO matters
of inquiry and investigation.
The largest question before the new
ministry will be the question Of car
rying out the governments pledges to
the labor unions that their prewar pc.
sition will be restored to them. En-.
ployers frequently have argued that this
will be impossible. Union leaders insist
that the government has given its pledge
and must fulhll IT,
Discussing this phase Of postwar con-
ditions, Professor l.. T. Hobhouse, head
of the department of sociology in London
university and one of the governments
advisers on labor, said to-day:
1.-The business OF the minister of re.
construction is TO think out the best
methods by which the. differentiated,
half understood impulses of the masses
Of people can get themselves expressed
in reasonable manner The first prob
lem with which we shall be faced is
that of reconstrueting trade union con.
ditions. | say reconstructing adyisedly,
because If we were to speak of restora
tion there would be those who would
say at once that il Is impossible in view
of the total change in conditions which
the war has brought about.
But this is a problem in which the
good faith of the government is in
volved. Nothing could be more definite
than the pledge to trade unionists that
the alterations involved in dilution of
labor and the suspension of customs Of
the trade should hold only for the pc
Rod of the war. If this pledge is not
fulfilled il will be fatal blow to the
confidence of the public in the good faith |
IF governments. If it is shown that it /,
,annot be fulfilled because circumstances
nave altered, the answer must be that |
We can only vary pledge with the
consent of the persons to whom the
pledge was made.
IF it is true that old labor conditions
annot be restored, then it will be for
he trade unionists to determine what
arrangements they would accept as
ubstitute for the old conditions. The
committee has already II
AIKEN a step in this direction by suggest.
ng the formation of industrial councils
n which both employer and employed
hall be represented and have consider
BILE powers in shaping the course of
ach industry In such councils it will
e possible for trade unionists and EN-.
lovers to discuss frankly and fully the
est methods Of meeting the new sitna-
ion. so as to secure renewed progress
f British industry with fair conditions
or the worker. Any system TO which
he trade union members of such councils
gree might, for that industry be taken
: the fair equivalent of that restora.
on of conditions which we pledged
Much of the unrest in the labor world H
,-day, attributed to doubts as to the
ilfillment Of this pledge, might be over
,me If such method of redeeming |
lie pledge were adopted"