The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-09-04
ENGLAND IS PLANNING
TO REBUILD COUNTRY
WHEN THE WAR ENDS
Minister of Reconstruction Has
Been Added to the Cabinet
Premier Believes Important
Work Should Begin Now.
., A,seeis,sd Prose-

~ Ansoethted fFese.
London. Sept. IA vast sphere OF
work lies before the new British min
lister of reconstruction. whose office
has Just been added to those inclnded
In the British cabinet. Premier Lloyd
Gcorge In firmly convinced that the
Foundation for the complex work of
Reconstruction after the war ought to
be begun Rt once. ever II u Is at first
confined to matters OF inquiry aud In
~Ntstigation.
The largest question before the new
ministry will he the question of car
ryIng out the governments pledges 81
the labor unions hat their pre.war
positions will be restored To them.
Employers frequently have argued
that this will be impossible. Union
leaders insls, that the government has
given Its pledge and must fulfili It,
Discussing this phase Of poet Val
conditions, Professor l.. T. Hobhouse.
head OF the department OF sociology
In London university and one OF the
Government advisers on labor. satl
today;
Duties OF the Minister.
The business of the minister OF re-
construction Is to think out the best
methods by which the differentiated
half-understood impulses OF the mas
SEES of people can get themselves ex-
pressed in a reasonable name The
first problem with which we shall be
faced Is that of reconstructing trade
union conditions ! say rcc~onstructing
advisedly, because II we were to
speak OF restoration there would be
those who would say at once tina tit IL
impossible in view Of the total change
Ia conditions which the war has
brought about.
But this Is a problem In which
tho good faith OF the government Is
%involvet Nothing could be more
definite than the pledge 90 trade up-
iSnists that the alterations involved ia
dilutioH OF labor and the suspension
Of customs of the trade should hold
only for the period OF the war. II
this pledge j. not fulfilled Il viii be
"a fatal blow To the confidence Of the
public In the good faith Of govern
ments. II II Is shown that IL cannot
be fulfilled because circumstances
have altered. tho answer must be that
1--WE can only AIRY a pledge with the
consent of the persons TO whom the
pledge was made.
To Redeem Pledge To Labor.
IF It is true that old labor condi-
tons cannot be restored. then II will
ne for the trade unionists Ia deter
mine what arrangements they would
accept az "a substitute Tor the old con
lditions. The reconstruction commit
tee has already taken 20 step iu this
direction by suggesting the formation
lcf Industrial councils In which both
employer and employed shall be rep
resented and have considerable powers
In shaping the course Of each industry.
In such councils Il win be possible for
trade u%nionists ana employer 90 dis
cuss frankly and fully the best
methods Of meeting TIE new situation,
sd as 10 secure a renewed progress u
British industry with fair conditions
for the worker. Any system TO which
the trade union members OF such
councils agree might, for that in
dustry. be taken as the fnh- equiya-
lent OF that restoration OF conditions
which we pledged
Much OF the unrest In The labor
world today. attributed to doubts as
to the fulfillment 81 this pledge.
might he overcome IL such a method
lof redceming the pledge were
adopted"