Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-09-03
VAST WORK OF
RECONSTRUCTION
At END Of WAR

LUNDON, September .. - lCOfre-
lspondence of the Associated Press
A vast sphere of work lies before the
lnew British Minister of Reconstruction
whose Office has just been added to
those included in the British Cabinet.
Premier Lloyd George is firmly con-
WINGED 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
II 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.
Employers frequently have argued
that this will be impossible Union
leaders insist that the government has
given its pledge and must fulfill it.
Discussing this phase of postwar
conditions, Professor L. 7. Hobhouse
head of the department of Sociology
in London University and one of the
Governments advisers on labor, said
to-day:
"The business of the Minister Of Re-
construction is to think out the best
methods by which the half-formulated,
misunderstood impulses of the masses
Of people can get themselves express
ed in a reasonable manner. The first
problem with which we shall be faced
lis that of reconstructing trade unioA
conditions. l say reconstructing adj
y;sedly. because if we were to speak or
restoration there would be those who
would say at once that it is impossible
in view of the total change in condi-
tions which the war brought about.
But this is a problem in which the
good faith of the government is involv>
ed. Nothing could be more definite
than the pledge to trade unionists that
the alterations involved in the dilution
of labor and the suspension of customs
of the trade should hold only for the
period of the war. If this pledge is not
! fulfilled it will be a fatal blow to the
confidence of the public in the good
faith of governments. If it is shown
that it cannot be fulfilled because cir
cumstances have 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 condi-
tons cannot be restored. then it vii
Il be for the trade unionists to determine
what arrangements they would aecep1
: as a substitute for the old conditions
n The Reconstruction Committee has al
: ready taken step in this direction BY
d suggesting the formation of industrial
4 councils in which both employer an(
n employed shall be represented, ant
n have considerable powers in shaplns
the course of each industry. In suct
/ councils it will be s,ccssible for trad
i dhioHists ahd employers to discuss
II freely and frankly the best methods
' Of meeting the new situation, so as t.
secure a renewed progress of British
e industry with fair conditions for thu
s worker. ANY system ID which thu
r. trade union members of SUCH Councils
D agree might, for that industry, be tax
g en- as the fair equivalent of that re
f storation of conditions which we
pledged.
q Much of the unrest in the labor
j world today is attributed to doubts as
T. to the fulfl1ment of this pledge, might
= be overcome if such method of re-
n deeming the pledge we're adopted"