The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1917-08-31
RECONSTRUCTION
WORK BY BRITISH
Create British Minister Of Reeoastrue
ton in Order that Work May Be
Started As Soon As Possible.
Associated Press


LONDON, Aug. 3l-A vast sphere
Of work lies before the new British
Minister of Reconstruction, whose Of
fee has just bee n added included in
the 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 it 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 pre-war
position 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 fulfill it.
Facing Union Problem.
Discussing this phase Of postwar
conditions, PUrofessor L. T. Hob
house. head of the department of So
GEOLOGY in London University and one
of the Governments advisers on labor,
said today:
"The business of the Minister of Re.
construction is to thing out the best
methods by which the half formulated
misunderstood impulses of the mass
es Of people can get themselves ex-
pressed in a reasonable manner. The
first problem with which we shall be
faced is that of reconstructing trade
union conditions. l say rec%onstructing
advisedly, because if we were to speal
of restoration there would be those
who would say at once that it is i'm
possible in view of the total hcange
in conditions which the wal ha.
brought about.
But this is a problem in which the
good faith of the Government is in.
volved. Nothing could be more dehn'
tie than the pledge to trade unionist.
that the alterations involved in dilu-
ton of labor and the suspension Of
customs of the trade should hold only
for the period of the a If this
pledge is not fulfilled it will be a
fatal blow to the confidence of the
public in the good faith Of govern.
ments. If It is shown that it cannot
be fulfilled because circumstances have
altered, the answer must be that we
can only vary a pledge with the con.
sent of the persons to whom the
pledge was made.
Will Work in Unison.
IF it is true that old labor condi.
tions cannot be restored, then it will
be for the trade unionists to deter
mine what arrangements they woulc
accept as a substitute for the cd con-
ditions. The Reconstruction Commit
tee has already taken a step in this
direction by suggesting the formation
of Industrial Councils in which both
employer and employed shall be req
resented an dhave considerable pow
ers in sraping the course Of each in
dustry. In such councils it will bt
possible for trade unionists and EN-
ployers to discuss frankly and fully
the best methods of meeting the new
situation, so as to secure a renewed
progress of British industry with fail
conditions for the worker. Any sys
tenn to which the trade union member
of such councils agree might. for tina
industry be taken as the fair equiva
lent Of that restoration Of condition
which we pledged.
Much of the unrest in the labo
world to-day, attributed to doubts a
to the fulfllment Of this pledge, nigh
be overcome if such a method OF re
deeming the pledge were adopted"