LABOUR PROBLEM

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 31, 6 August 1919, Page 3

LABOUR PROBLEM

GREAT PRINCIPLE AFFIRMED.

"One of the far-reaching and important subjects dealt with by the Peace Conference," said Sir Joseph Ward, "is contained in the Labour Charter which is attached to tbe Peace Covenant and is intended to deal with the Labour problem. The Charter affirms a great principle, but its practicability must remain more than in doubt until all the great countries are included in it. Two of the Great Powers, the United States and Japan, have not subscribed to it. It certainly was disappointing to me that the great protagonist who represented America found it necessary for internal political rtasons to have the United States excluded from the proposals of the Labour Charter. In the case of Japan, her acquiescence is postponed for a period of five years. Obviously if countries who have given their adhesion to it were to enact by local legislation similar rates of pay and hours for labour in the various industries they would be in the position of having to compete with ■all other great countries free of any such responsibility, and the structure, the foundation of which was laid at Paris, would be unstable in . its real , effect. Nevertheless it is a great move forward that a commencement has been made. '

"The idea is a fine one," commented Sir Joseph, "and I should dearly like to see it ] generally adopted and finally carried into effective operation. After, all, it is a task of great magnitude and much perplexity to tackle a world-wide problem affecting so many different races with. different .local conditions, and if a universal system were evolved in a period of five or even ten years, it would be next door to a, miracle. Tlie opinion I form is that each part of the British Empire, as. well as. each of the great countries that were represented' at the Peace. Conference, will require to work out its own problem as affecting Labour within its own bounds and through'its own Legislatures."