Industrial Welfare Society.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 44, 22 February 1927, Page 2

Industrial Welfare Society.

Duke's Unflagging Interest—Plan to Restore the Human Touch.

"Our Industrial Prince." is a title to Thich there has been no previous claimant in England. Hitherto members of the Royal House have shown an interest in and lent their sup|>ort to activities in many Melds, social, charitable educational, religious and military. It has been reserved for the Duke of York to give not merely n titular patronage but active personal .service to n movement connected solely with the industry of the country. The main channel fur his work in that direction has been the Industrial Welfare Society, of which lie has been President since its formation over seven years ago. ami under whose auspices he has |taid his visits to scores of the great manufacturing establishments in order to inspect tlic conditions under which the employees do their work and the provisions made for their comfort, health. ami recreation. As often ns his many other engagements permit the Duke preside* over the meetings of the society, and he keeps in close touch witli its multifarious and ever-widening activities in all parts of the country. Many an jilt ♦μ-iiouii he drops into the society's oflir.-* at ">l. Victoria Street —only a few minutes' walk from liiH-kingliani l'alac—to discuss affairs with the stnlT. and there he often meets employer and labour leaders in an informal way. In \ie\v of his interest hiu! tin- ini|H>rl«n<f of the work for its own sake, an well n> the fm-t llijil it ha* iui roiiiitiT|iiii-t in any other eoiuitrv in the world, it iimy In- )i|t|iru|iHiite In »ay soux-t hin;: hlhuil tin- society, il» origin, i>n<l its aims. These ran Instated iti a si-iiti-iicc. Tliey lire to res tun- t<i indu*--triiil relations thi- "Iniiiiuii loiii-h." uliieli under modern roiuliiio.is they liiim- aim.■>! totiillv l.i-i. In the old days., when staff?, were siniill. the empliiyi-i knew every ivorkiiinii in hi- s«>r\ i«-r». hit. charm Wt. liis history, lux family n>-iwial i«ui>. aiul nlluiist everything aliout him. Nowiklh\> when i-lnff* an, , ninuliervtl liy hundred* and liy ihoii>;iiuN. il iimpussil.lc for tin- heilil ..f (lie linn Ui know l.y still loss liy inline, the men mill the umneii to wh he piivs «u«i'!.. Ue has In ileal with them through iimiiugerit and fun-un-n or through trade union oHieiiils. and as l>oth of these elasoc* lia%e interests i»f their own to i»erve or |Hiint» of \iew t.i maintain. Iμ , may writ renin in in rom|ilete i"«imrainf of the tone that |ktmi.li-> his works, the |n«tJy that are ruukliiig in tin- niind- of llir w.irk'|ieo|i|e. the lack of thought for thrir etunfurt. the elVorts that are Hindi* —««r not Ikmiij; nmdr —to promote their happiness, their safety, or their

recreation. Inevitably there tends tr. Lecowc nothing more (lull a *Va*h nexus" between him mid tluiM- who u.irk fur Mm. It would l>c pnw.lv unfair to British i>m|<l<i\rr< In suggest thai all of them were indifferent ot neglect fill iT'^nrdint , llicm* matter*, till the huhisIrial Welfare Society came ..n the mtii<>. Many of them provided »f>ort* jrround* end canteen*, organised evening cla*M.-p and holiday or other Mmnjr* fimd«. financial hniifinp M»bruie*. and •« fi.rth. Rut the** effort- were Kporadic mid uiifyMematir. There we* rm f-i'titml orgnni«ation to give advir-c mid iu«piralion. hike many le-* desirable things, tin- w»cietv i* an outcome of iho war. When ten* of thousand* nf women and >ouna |«erwon» were helug drAft<*d into State ur M>iui.state M -r\ i,>. for the ilevelopnirnt of tin- nation*. «- nr pffort. tli<> MiniMrr of Munition* fiiiinil it ncrcMMirr to n welfare movement, which it «ai- mmiii found «u opially neot»«mary f ur uitrkera o< nil and both m*xc» —benrv the formation of a Welfare IX«|«irtinenL The Ik»v«.* »->'cti<iii «a> I'biiri] under thr- Mi;vn i-ion of tb*» Rev. Rolntl R. H»«l«\ n (liimh uf elprgA'. man. who lunl e%|>ericnr<i> of Uu*itieK« U-foii- I).- entered li«« mini>(r« and who hnd worked f..r luelve v.Mtr- in hii Knd of tnda«>Inal |wri%h. 1 !)«• MiuiMry of Munition*" effort, it »«» found. IliMiHed l.v an inej.-aw- of output. !<• miv iifithint! •'( rou*ideratioiik. end llioM- itiuivruetl in it t.. ihv that an ••\|M-riniiMi( uhirh had pr..».-.l «i %alu*hlc in tin«<r «.f H;ir i-ould not f«,il «.. Iwuefirial in liwo of jh-jiw. 11.-iio- Mr. Hide was led to rc«i«n Jiit. j.<m under Ihe (Hiirrnmeut in order to form the luduolrial \\clf«r,- S<M-iety of which lie ha* director ,!, """-l « «'» e\i«tenc«. To In- iuforined and •li-M-ij.liu.-.l eiitliu-iaMii it i» ma in! i hidel.i.vl for it« MKiv<v». ai'<| hit- U'»l ilayV work for it «a ? u Ix-n ho euliotiH] the sxuipaihv and h«-ij< of the l>uVc of York. Pooling Knowledge. <if coiir-M-. like everv new movement, the M -<-i«-(y vwi- n>»an|ed with -~„„. .„,.,.„ „.„ „,,, „,, ( ,f may ha\e iia|«initeii. r.mji1.0, ,.,-. thought it would interfere with Uu-m in the eoiidu.t ~f their l»u«inewa a.T-ordinir to their own ti..i«t. U..ili wn feared that it> only motite \»a> a f-lill further exploitation in the iiUeie-t ..f more elTieient u of kin];. The fact that the council ..f the Micicly inrludet. anions the l*,nl Intemaim cf William licardmorp. || U . -iv«t >to«-l maker>). who if chairman. Mr. .laniex iM-nny. sir R..|«ert Hndficld, Mr. Ueid, and Mr. John Strain, and anion? worker*" re p r naeniative*. M,..^ rh .1 ij ilynre, Jolin U. A. Applrtuu, Mr. liuln-ri Air. Frank llwljje-. and Stt*t Julia Varlcy enough lu >hwu that leaders on iK'th M<k-r hmc cunfidenvc in the ttuctvly. They put tlieir name lu a manif<-*!o M,«mc yvara agxi, in which .»*,. declared that: "If men desire \vMt-e Ibey numl prepare fur jteacx*," and that "Suspicion, «?lf-inifn-cl and inufrt l»c **»ftcned." The t»»rirty ha# t.« promote that feeling hy a rigid avoidance of all matters of controlcrt»y. «uch a* tho»« connected with wage*, hour« and conditions of employment, and it has been able to frccure the confidence not merely of Lal«<ur leaders like Uio6c I lia^c

named, hut of many vbo. pn.feM.iiuj ,„„<* i.«gre* k ive opinion*, «re .till reedy u> ooueult the officer, of the *«ciety on matter. effeeUn. «! workers Within the limit* iviihUf it u * *ible to fciv<e more than an outline <,f aj| m '!°*" tie* of the society. In .« official l tra fl K al , ou * ""'" iicm* arc tperifled. grouped under the hw>diiu* I health, eduction. leisure, provident*, end employ wont, the letter including Mich utteJl * ■* engagement, loet (jnt and aWntwiMn promotion, and transport. Before the MMfety into existence iin employer * e M-heme for the benefit of his * ,«*«•« had »„ * "" to which he could apply lor gwdanw. Xow t members, who number about «00 arid ccmtiiiiw; of the largest industrial cmjcwom. in M,v apply for and receive adMce on M mi«odWrf problem*—the e*tabll«bmeat of a deutal dink/uk!? for a *porte pavilion, the lr*\ «„■«„„ <,f * lawn tennis courts the employment <.f groundtm.«f the organisation of holiday fund*, the planni,,* works lecture* and entertainments, the tmhiijm <lf apprentices, the provision «.f <-a»jt«e.tis.. librariw atlfl convalescent homes the disinfect urn <.f cMJnjw .1 prevention of accident*, the building u f hnsUshY right type of *'ff«.«:le" in o<om«vti(.ti uiti auttrli-iie and electric weMing arnJ mi f««th. ] tl tlie Mwety h»* iMSxttnr « jue««f f.,r ~,.,,|m j ; and exjH-heno*.. and it it. Mgnificiint ih«i dut-i JV tlie industrial depre««uMi «f (lie 1«m fv« m. ui> I( . w ha»e thought of ewm'uiiMji;: in t}icir rxpcinUituit on welfare wurk. Some typical dtv-leratjotit, ft,. m f, nm Moiurhij. to the aociety n«a> lie <juuU>d. -JkJin.u gfifv«tioi* <rf which w« should otheruinr ha><- Jiud iiv have been bronchi to <.ur n«iirc utid rciiiwliej throuph tltc ~f thv Work, lomniittw." "Industrial unrest h*f. made it <-H«i'tili u l that in,.,, should know that they »rc Willi u tnaum being and nat with ati Omi» ou.lled u Witnj«ny if thry are l<. ha»<- <-..vifid«-ii<'c ,n Ui.-ij- «wj4w ment and <t>i»if<«-t in their vtuk." "Uy JieJj«ng workers to h«Jp UictnwlM-f «Muj.l»y<-i> will ivmtne that fuspiri««»j <«f an uiteriwr ni-u»t«e \\h,vh lm. hitherto ptxned the <-3iief t*WU<iv u* *uuwmlifi rwMillA. which o«n onlt' in , «<-hi<M<'d l>> 00-oitcratiuii on a l»a*.3« of mutual UtuC" "To-duy v<. w <n ild 110 more think of dif!(«cw».inp vith out vvHurc u.ct,ivitici Ihjin we w««uld our counting -bmiMv." *"J')i ( . Brititib. workman it» ?<»(»d a* atty mxfkmam in the World, and pjv|«arcd t<» d<» hii>. I»cM for euipjtnw df the latter i»bu«-« hit- »i|ij»jwialioii wf oidittarv Luiim* pn«Mcn>f> and ii« prepaue*! t<» livjit htm u*> » «j«k)hj. »il«!e citiix-n of the Uritj»h ILmpiw and not «,« ■. machine ca|«able of working m< mom- linui> u d«T at a <TiUiu rale of output fur three hundred dav« * tear." No Fixed Pattern Melfeod. I could Cilend thet.e (|iK>laliun» lnjt content m>«ielf with Haying that a iieruhn.l <jf the |«a.mphlet from which they *m> t.ak<-u if. ui) «xucl> lent remedy f«r u> tv the itidust.fial lui.uj'c While many of the wri««rm declare thul w<-]f«,i» ei}»enditure ha> l«een remanerat«ve bv wciiring ii»rrea«ied efficiency, that ib not the n.i-jwrt. vhiei fijrurv> prominenUy in the leUim*. Tbrv are ajrrerd that the enjra.jrenient of a tocljfai and e'xjtcrifii<y(? welfare sttpenrimor i« »dvi»wl»le—the woriety }imk a lii>t of men «i»d women t-uitaMi- f«r the dutiett— but that the various activitie* l*e conducted on a democrutic lia»ii> Xhrvugh wmmHiicmi «f the workers, with, a* ttwc firtn pul* ii. th<- emplmw taking "a definite but «Jij«l<iin«iir itit<M-«!h1; it jb*in fact. <»ne <»f Ihe most ini}«ortiuil f<«(«i<n> ef hih worL He should l»e a wrJfare worker, v n.h awirt»eU." It is a matter of lojritmiaU' ]>riJe that <Jr«at Kritain it, the pioneer in thi» s}ih«-re ef vork. I'he Indtistriaj Wesfa»ie Nwaet.v is a* yet miotic, liut it u significant that it is fdoeivimg a stinanjijy iii(;i'<i«.t>iitg innnU'r of inquirk's from all pa»l* ol tlic v <irj<]. Mr. IIy«lr. it* director, ha* reoetitJy l«'cn i>ll a » i«il tti Hie Vnited of America, under the uusjiidot- of tliu Management A***»riatioTt. which w<«fik* mi bimieuJuil difl'erent and more imatejiaJistie inioh. The Nc*ciely, as ■»** derla-ivd in tlir muTiifertoi, **3ats down ti« pedantic theory of c-cotiotnje vrnibtvl, !»tJI atitempt« to deal in a way with industrial problem* as it find* them/' Accuiding'ly, it pTYwcrilies no Aved |<atl<e)-n method for limac avLo consult it. but. in the of the < , xT.<*ririi(K« gaittud l»y its oflioers., sugyestb how its gct«>ral |<irind|/lce may l«e l»cst ad«pt«d Km the jia.rtifular imeds of oaiih establishment. It makes a KpvciaJ foature ef its M»»rk in relation to women and young pemoiti. Mjiny of the beet welfare- superintendents are wtmien. In MnalJ fm-tori** one of the tneffiberu of the firm makes liimwif rchjKiii-t-iblc fur the vork. In larger oonwrtifc agentp a.re employed. v 'ho U.W a,ns«ersbU' eitlusr directly or through the manajrer t« llll' vrnpioj* vtt,. But the vital inlure is that there ahiniU 1» WW tSUXgCKtJOTI Of |»tr ran age <>r t>f dtrcctiol from t>i<' vurkc tiianug^ , ment, and thai Die coif duct of tiif vjirioti* activities clunild be as far a* poKsinir "rtiTi" hy tie workers th«*tntK>.lvt*fa. Hit Interest is Tndiaf. This ib irn'i - ely eIW -of innumcralilp inntanocti in whi<-h the ]J>uke of York he« dis]ilarcd hie keen in trade ntid. <H»nini<'fe!c_ lie ifc kt*B t« the antitnat* cxmneci ioTi between coinmercc atid j)Uigrc«B, uni in e*wr inanticr he iiai Mnig-lil to gHJn an iiitclligt'tit knowledge *& trade iriuli<-rt>. At tlic dinner and outingt business guilds, oorjiul** tiotis. «ottiputncK, -uni a.»i»«icj«i.ii>tis. he lia* Itl , - ■quently liueti <i jmiminulit ftgujx'.. through hi* intercut berth an wpeech M deanea-nour. And lie to* not been ccintciil to look <»ru 'J'here ib. for ' u " HUuaoe, the t)nt.able occafcion on wliich he drew a lraui thiough tlie •street* <>f vilatsgow un 4 «cnt. iti engineer 1 * overalls ajnumg the niachJnery uj Uic j>owerhouec He lias alsu driven * loo»omtiv« on Uie Britiek railways. <m iaor« the* one WVU S.JCITI ; IIC hl» been inUt the furthest r«ix-.t*ws of mille **' factorieß. minutely *&" fce.nitig «ll the Mnufa<4t:rc; he u* , ckjilon.J the inytterie* of the Mn|..vafdt if»» end tw cud . lie littfe I** B down v.i Ibe de-ej** ,, depth* i'i the jniut*; 1* ha.» g.itu- into the cHg® , ri>omp of P 4, f mcrcentile marine —* in <-»er\ w«y he I** made liuhmK fu.niili* r with tin ( -..nmicre.e the liftUoud of ti» tialiuu. •■"""