LABOUR NOTES

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 137, 9 June 1917, Page 10

LABOUR NOTES

(By D. O'J.)

There does'not appear to be much opposition in union circles to the regulations gazetted last week, suspending apprenticeship restrictions to the extent of permitting employers to engage appren- ■ tices in place of lads who have gone on active service. It is recognised that if nothing were done in this direction some employers would suffer hardship; At the same time it is pointed out that effect has not yet been given to tho proposals for dealing with indentures broken by activo service, which proposals were substantially approved by representatives of both workers and employers. The regulations lately gazetted were not, so far as can be ascertained, submitted to any representative of the unions before being promulgated, and this fact has caused a little uneasiness in Labour circles. Unions therefore hope that the Acting Prime Minister will see his way clear to make the appointment of a Labour adviser to the Efficiency Board, as he stated some time ago appeared possible. Such a course, it is argued, would save a great deal of friction and agitation for the repeal of regulations issued without-refer-ence to the parties concerned. The Timber Workers'' Federation, .which 'approached Sir James Allen with reference to Labour representation on the Efficiency Board, said that Labour wished to elect its own spokesman in the same way as xt now elects its representative on the Arbitration Court. In the event of no regular Labour adviser being elected or appointed, and in view of the difficulty of consulting Trades Councils or _ other bodies in the different centres, it is suggested that the present workers' representative on tho board (Mr. J. A. M'Cullough) would, be the person most competent to express the'views of united Labour on war-time industrial problems and legislative proposals. Mr. M'Cullough is regarded as a man of sound commonsense, and his position has given him wide experience of tho feelings of Labour as well as tho difficulties of employers.