EMPIRE EFFICIENCY.

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 15 December 1916, Page 17

EMPIRE EFFICIENCY.

111 Clll if IMIIIIL IMrSflfii 1 TOM MIIIRIH

E jT. previou special issues dealing with"national problems arising out of the war, and more especially those relating to trade and industry within thaEmpire, we have laid particular emphasis on the necessity for British people encouraging British industries by buying Britishmade goods.. One of the lessons of the war. has been that a country or a' nation should endeavour as far as possible to make itself independent oE outside supplies. To do this it must assist and encourage tlie development within its own borders of those industries whioE are vital to its own existence. British ■ Goods for British People was the motto we suggested as being appropriate to the spirit of the times and the policy of the future. ■

On the present occasion we are touching on another phase of the problem which looms ahead of the British people in the years which will follow on the war. In order to equip ourselves for the coming industrial and trade competition and the readjustment in international trade relations, a number of changes in our system and methods will be necessary. A watchword, or perhaps , a baitlecry would better describe it, "which wo must use as a constant spur- to higher effort is EFFICIENCY.

and enemies. And we cannot play into the hands of our enemies without injuring ourselves,;...-.. . At the Annual Conference of Chambers of Commerce, held in Wellington last month, the President, Mr. James Macintosh, made these observations:— It is to our mutual interest that we should pull together, so that we may quickly restore the ravages of war. If everyone could enter into this work whole-heartedly, with a full determination to win through, what a great result would follow. What a wonderful change has been effected "in the Old Country • under the stress of war with regard to machinery, methods, and—labour. Is it not pleasant to see how all classes are i working together for the common cause, the glory of the race, and the advance-, mentof Mankind? How deeply one wishes that this nappy state of things would last. Is there never to be complete harmony between Capital and Labour 1 Surely this is possible. At any rate it should be .the... endeavour of everyone to help forward the coming of that time. To-day the workman—he openly confesses it—gives as little as he can and exacts as much as he can. Tho employer, on the other hand, is no better, for he does .exactly- the. same. There 'are exceptions in both cases, but, in the main, I am. sorry to say, this indictment is true. When will the day comc when men will- be as scrupulous and as " careful to see that they give full -value for what they receive, and be more concerned that they be not paid over much than at receiving less than their dues? These ideas may be considered Utopian, but they are not—they'are just the ideas of ordinary honest people.- - It is sad tosee that even in the midst of this, war— the very greatest the world has ever seen—when the very existence of our Em- ■ pire is at stake, wrangling and bitterness should exist amongst ourselves; yet so it is. At our doors to-day there is trouble between Capital and Labour. But for the belief that the day of reconciliation is truly coming, one would despair of the future of mankind. The hope is strong within all of us that a better timo is coming, a time when men will understand each .other better, trust each other more, and ,help each other more." Who is there who can honestly challenge this frank and outspoken statement of the existing situation i . . And since what the President of the Chambers of Commerce stated 01? the occasion mentioned is plainly the truth; and since it is neither in the interests of the employer nor the employee that such a condition of things should continue, it would seem a simple matter for the two interests to come together lor their common Benefit. At the moment the possibility of establishing better relations seems remote; yet to fail to do so means that our National Efficiency, will be impaired. There, is _ room here too for closer organisation in our business and commercial life. Our Chambers of Commerce . serve a useful pu'rpose at times, but they are not the guide and influence they should be. Business interests are poorly looked after in a general way. Politicians unhappily are more often influenced by weight of numbers than by soundness of argument or matured experience. Representations made to Parliament by Chambers of Commerce on matters affecting trade and commerce would carry more weight than they do if they ■ were backed by a larger body of business' opinion than 1 is at -present represented by the membership rolls of the various Chambers. This should be. a simple matter to put right. It is merely a questioir of "intelligent organisation. The business man can .serve his own interests and the interests of his country by making the Chambers of Commerce truly representative of the opinions of the business men of the Dominion. The sounder the foundation on which our business life is built the better it will be for everyone. Organisation and Efficiency walk hand in hand. Empire Efficiency cannot be attained without many changes. Habits of thought must be revised; customs and methods changed; cherished convictions laid aside; prejudices overcome; educational standards overhauled—it is a formidable task, but the reward of achievement will b6 great. Some idea, of the magnitude' of the task, and how it is being- faced in the British Empire will be gathered from the information which we place at the disposal of our readers to-day. But only the fringe of the matter is touched on. During the next few months we hope to periodically enlarge on the subject, and review at length the developments which may from time to time occur here and elsewhere throughout the Empire. ■

We must develop and increase our ■ Efficiency in all branches of trado_ and industry. There must be a better organisation of our. resources as a natiorr'so that they may be utilised to the best advantage to further the welfare of all who live under the British Flag. The war- has shown us something of what can be done by organised effort-and by a closer concentration on essentials. The efficiency of British industry has been enormously increased under the pressure of necessity, due to the war, and some of the best brains of the nation are at work to-day building plans which will enable us to reap the. full advantage of the experience gained. In hundreds of factories and workshops in Britain old machinery of limited output and high working cost has been discarded within the past eighteen months in favour of modern machinery and appliances, which, have revolutionised the producing. power of .the plants and reduced the working co|ts to a quite amazing extent. After the war most of this improved machinery will be turned to profitable use in the competition lor the world's trade. The Empire will be so much the better off for the warso much the better able to play its part in the struggle in which Efficiency in all departments of national- life must enormously influence our future welfare. ; But improved machinery in our workshops and factories constitutes only a small part of the great plans' that are being prepared to promote National Efficiency.' In a. multitude of directions facts are j being examined: past experiences inquired. intonew methods discussed, and revolutionary proposals advanced _ oil industrial, commercial, and financial questions relating to Empire Efficiency. In Great Britain the waking-up process is proceeding apace. Financiers; Merchants, Captains of Industry, Leaders of Labour, and Statesmen of Eminence are devoting time and study to the possibilities of the great changes which all recognise must come with the close of the war. Special and Commissions have been appointed to investigate and report on measures of various kinds for promoting National Efficiency. In this issue we present to our readers some of the findings reached, but in the main the many columns of space devoted to the question of Empire Efficiency indicate the nature of the problem rather than make any attempt to show the solution. Our purpose is to quicken interest in what must ultimately prove a vital matter to all parts of the Empire. So far_ as New Zealand is concerned, the call for Efficiency is just as imperative as in the Mother Country. There is room for improvement here as well as in Great Britain. — One of the most difficult of the problems to be faced is the future relations of Capital and Labour. A continuance, of the unrest 'and friction which have marked and marred the industrial history of New Zealand, during recent years must prove a hindrance and a drag on that development of our industrial resources which it is in the interests of all to promote. There seems to be some hope that the stress of war conditions in Great Britain will have brought about a clearer recognition between Capital and Labour of inter-dependence on each other, and a closer and more sympathetic understanding of mutual obligations to be met. But here the hardships and the dangers and the sorrows of the war have not been brought home to the mass of the people in the same way. "Yet it must- be obvious to all that in the coming trade and industrial struggle with our foreign rivals it will be just as essential for the nation to present a solid, and united front as it is now in time of war. Internal dissension and industrial strife which interferes with National Efficiency is playing into the hands of our rivals