The Dominion TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1910. OUR DISABLED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2707, 29 February 1916, Page 4

The Dominion TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1910. OUR DISABLED SOLDIERS

Ix is not surprising that the Orc!er-in-Council suspending certain provisions of tbc Arbitration Act with tho object of facilitating the employment of disabled soldiers has caused some uneasiness among trades unionists. They are naturally desirous of safeguarding their interests. They want to know exactly what the Order-in-Coitncil means, and what its effects will be. They arc quite entitled to the fullest in formation on the subject. Several unions have recently passed resolutions objecting to the Order. They seem to fear that some employers may take advantage of it for the purpose of obtaining cheap labour, and that it may have ail unfavourable' influence generally on the labour market from their point of view. The unions also - appear to be of opinion that the Government, is trying to relieve itself of a part of its financial responsibilities at the expense of the wage earners. Ad examination* of the position shown that there exists a good deal of misunderstanding regarding the purpose and consequences of the Gov ; ernment's action, ancl the best way of removing wrong impressions is to state the actual facts. This is what the PitniE Minister has now done. He explains that the Ordcr-in-Coun-cil only applies to soldiers who hav become incapable of efficiently working at their former employment owing to injury received during tho war. Applications for permits to work for less than the ruling rato |of wages have to be made to the Inspector of Factories, whose duty it is to make full inquiries into the circumstances of each particular casfe and to give the unions concerned' an opportunity of istating their views. The decision regarding the term ancl conditions of employment and the wages to be paid will also rest with the Inspector. A careful ancl unprejudiced consideration of these facts should go far to allay* the fears of the _ unions that the Order-in-Council will endanger the privileges conferred on their members by the Arbitration Act. But in order to make assurance doubly sure, and to frustrate any attempt that may be made to abuso x the permit system, the Government might well consider the advisability of providing some form of appeal from the Inspector's decision. Tho appeal should be to some easily accessible tribunal in order to save expense and reduce the possibilities of delay to a minimum. The Stipendiary Magistrate seems to be the proper person to deal finally with these cases on broad grounds ot equity and common sense. It is tho business of the Government to safeguard tho interests of the disabled soldiers as well as those of tlm unions. It is reasonable to contend that a soldier ought not to be penalised because his earning capacity has been reduced by injuries received while serving his country, and that he should receive the ordinary rato of pay; but it would not be fair to expect the individual employei to make good the difference between the man's, actual earning capacity and the standard wage. The disabled soldier should not suffer for his patriotism and self-sacrifice, and w«

take it for granted that those who find employment will con-

:inue to receive assistance from

the State. It is not unreasonable to expect that such assistance will be sufficient to place them on about the same financial footing as their more fortunate comrades -whoso industrial efficiency has not been im-

paired. It is of'the utmost importance that, when the war is over, our soldiers should resume their civilian occupations as soon as possible. Their prompt rcahsorption into thn ordinary working life of the community is as essential for the wellbeing of the Dominion as it is for tho welfare of the men themselves. All right-thinking citizcns will

agree with the Peijib Minister's

declaration that it is the duty of tho State to see that disabled' soldiers shall be given every opportunity of earning a- living in the occupations best suited to their circumstances and physical conditions! The Government must bear its full share of responsibility in this matter. Employers of labour must also do their

part. It behoves- them to take special care to avoid even the suspicion of making unfair use of the permit system. The unions, too, have a duty to perform.' In their anxiety to safeguard their own interests they should not forget the debt which we all ow© to the men who have risked their lives for our sakes. We believe that the unions are willing to give our soldiers fair play and to welcome them back to their former occupations, and we feel confident that a fuller knowledgeof the facts will cause them to modify their opposition to the Order-in-Council, and to reconsider the whole question in a broad and sympathetic spirt.