Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-16

The new Union Government Of Canada
will enter upon its first session i'm April,
and it can be said with all certainty that
Of all the tasks that are before {, there
viii be none to compare in Importance
with that Of securing the labor sup
ply that \ is needed if this years pro
duction is not TO Show a decided drop
and menace the prosperity Of the Coun-
try. The labor market was short enough
before the putting into force Of the mill
itary service act took away 50 many
Of the younger mon. Now the situation
is that much further tiGhteued and the
call for Canadian food products becomes
even more inssteut. There have been
five proposals put forward for meeting
this situation. as follows:
First That men called out under the
military service act but physically un-
fit should be conscrpted for farm labor
Second. That alien labor in Canada
should be consCripted for the same pur-
pose.
Third That coolie labor should be
imported for agricultural and other 's-
sential industries.
Fourth That all the less essential
Industries should be closed LOT Tie uuTd-
ton of the war.
Fifth. That there should h" compute
sorry national registration of the man
mower and womanpower of the country
Reject Indusn iaI COnSCriptiOn
Industrial conscription has already
been virtually rejected by the Gov
,rrment. chiefly because the labor unions
declined TO sanction the proposal The
labor unions feared that If they ao-
rented this plan they would be putting
their hcards into a moose from Which
they would find it hard to withdraw al
n later date. In addition to the labor
union protest there was also recog-
rition of the fact compulsory service
of individual citizens to individual
farmers was impracticablc. Who would
gettle the hours of the conscript helper,
who would determine what was to he
regarded as a proper days work To
what extent would the farmers of the
country reimburse the country for the
helm thus given them in their work. Who
would be the soldiers boss, the farmer
with whom he worked or some other
nower. These We're all questions that
nut themselves to the front as soon
as the idea was mentioned and no one
has vet given any kind of solution
of these difficulties.
some Of these same objections arise
in the case of using alien labor 1t
, might be possible for the Government
| TO nut large numbers OF the aliens
at the work of clearing new lands In on
/ tario. Quebec or the West, but II Is
hardly likely that his GLASS would pro-
hardly likely that this class would pro-
lem of looking after the mixed farms OF
eastern Canada or harvesting i'm the
grain of the prairies. Tho average
eastern farmer would have a strong dis
/ like to having an alien enemy i'm his
I household, so that this may as well be
! ruled out.
The third proposal, TO bring in coolto
labor is strongly opposed by the labor
! unions and is just as strongly opposed
bv the better thought of the country.
| Canada doee- not want herself invaded
hy an army of Chinese even for linn
tied period and under restriction. The
coolie idea is gener'lly believed 70 have
originated In certain railway circles
where II seemed to offer n partial Solu-
ton of the difficulty OF getting day Ia
Dor. The Government rather cautiously
sounded public opinion by some articles
that appeared in the press, but the pro-
test was so immediate and so strong
that there has been nothing heard OF
il since.
Care OF Industries
As to shutting up nonessenttal indus
tries there would have TO he good
deal Of caution exercised in this or there
would be serious business dislocation. Il
is possible, however. that something may
yet be done along this line. There are