The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-01-08
LABOR NEWS
FROM BRITAIN
. POSTWAR PROBLEMS
. BRITISH LABOR GROUP
. FRAMES PROGRAM

London.-Several committees have
been set up by the Labor Party and
the T. U. c. to study the vast prob
lens of postwar reconstruction.
The newly appointed research Of
ficer of the Labor Party, who has gen.
eral charge of the machinery of this
wide-ranging investigation, tells me
that it is not at all unlikely that an
interim report, defining the broad is
sues of policy and the nature of the
problems under investigation, will be
put out by the main committee at the
beginning Of next year. 1t will not be
so much a declaration of peace aims
as blueprint of the postwar world.
MIR. GreenwOOd's Investigations
Importance attaches to this de-
velopment Of the work of the labor
movement, because it connects up with
the activities of Mr.. Arthur Green
wood, Minister without Portfolio in
the War Cabinet
Mr.. Greenwood is engaged upon an
assignment from the Prime Minister
and his cabinet colleagues which
covers much the same ground of in
vestigation and research. The Min
ister's task is to frame a program of
action for the Government, which can
be put into force as soon as the war
ends, to meet the immediate problems
of postwar reconstruction in accord
ance with long-term policy in which
it is hoped the political parties, now
united in furtherance of the war eff
fort, will be prepared to cooperate in
carrying out when victory is won and
peace made.
Much that Mr.. Greenwood is doing
is necessarily in a confidential stage.
He has been at the job now for nearly
a year. He has done far more than
can be disclosed now to organize a
systematic examination of the prob
lens and has advanced a long way
towards the formulation of specific
measures for dealing with the situa-
tion that will arise on the morrow Of
the armistice.
About these measures it is not yet
time to write, but the general nature
of the constructive work that is GO
ing on, side by side with the gigantic
effort that is being made to organize
for victory, can be gathered from "A
description of the machinery which
the labor movement has established
to frame its program of postwar
planning and reconstruction.
Fourteen Subcommittee at Work
Under the supervision of central
committee, whose chairman is Eman-
uel Shinwell, M. p, and whose sec
retary is Professor Harold Laski,
fourteen subcommittee have been set
up. On every one of them the r. u. {.
General Council is represented; Mem
bers of the Parliamentary Labour
Party and representatives of the
Party's National Executive, sit on the
Committees with leaVen of special
lists in the various subjects, who are
not necessarily members of the Party
but are in sympathy with its general
aims.
There is one strong committee
which concentrates its attention upon
the complex international relation
ships which have to be Strengthened
out, re-established, and in some ways
revolutionised after the war.
This Committee is not attempting to
redraw the map and fix the frontiers
Of nations which have been over
thrown. It's aim rather is to examine
both political and economic relation
ships between the nations, and to lay
down the principles upon which they
can live together in a regime of Sc
curity and resume the effect to pro-
mote prosperity for all peoples.
TO Attack Social Evils
Another committee is studying the
measures that are necessary to trans
form the social and economic life OF
Britain, in accordance with the pledges
given by all parties that poverty
insecurity, unemployment, and all the
other social diseases which waste and
slay, will be swept away.
An important group of committees
are at work on related problem
the reorganization of the social ser.
vices. That is to say, reorganizatior
of the country's educational system
its public health services, its problems
of housing and rent, its system of so.
cial insurances, public assistance
family allowances and similar matters
are under examination by competent
specialists, with view to their ex.
tension and improvement.
Other committees are graphing will
problems Of postwar finance, the re
organization of agriculture and utili
sation and ownership of the land, tn,
integration Of the country's coal ant
! power resources, its transport system
its methods of local government, ant
the organization of scientific researcl
asa social service.
Even the powers, functions, am,
machinery of the Central Government
are also under review.
This is vast undertaking. 1t ha
not been entered upon in a partisan
1