Social Relations In Industry; Money For Research Stresses

Northern Advocate, 12 January 1940, Page 3

Social Relations In Industry; Money For Research Stresses

[Per Press Association. Copyright.] WELLINGTON, This Day.

An offer by Henry Valder, of Hamilton, to establish a five years’ fellowship at Victoria University College for research in social relations in industry, at a total cost of £7500, was made public for the first time at the annual session of the New Zealand University Senate, which opened in Wellington yesterday. Mr. Valder, who has interested himself for many years in the subject of industrial relations, and has promoted an interesting experiment in copartnership, made his offer in the first instance to the council of Victoria College.

Letter Before Senate

The letter came before the Senate today by reason of a clause in the draft deed of trust, requiring its approval of any appointment to the fellowship. The college council had already accepted the trust, and thanked Mr. Valder for his gift. In his original letter to the council, Mr. Valder stated his view that the great assistance which industry received from France and scientific methods on the purely material side had no counterpart on the side of human relations. He had become convinced, as the result of many years of observation and experience, that some agency was required to grapple with the subject of social relations in industry, and that some machinery was needed to make it effective. Impartial Research Needed. After mentioning that chairs of industrial relations existed in the Universities of London and Leeds, Mr. Valder quoted British and American authorities to show that impartial research in the subject was much needed. He said that before making the offer he had asked a committee to assist him in working out the practical details. The committee consisted of Professors Sir Thomas Hunter and G. W. von Zedlitz and Messrs. W. H. Cocker and F. A. D. de la Mare, all, as it happened, members of the Senate.

The proposal had been made wtih its approval. Victoria College had been selected as the seat of the fellowship because it was located in the capital, near to sources of information, and because the college had a department of political science and public administration, from which valuable cooperation might be expected.

International Recognition,

The Vice-Chancellor and principal of Victoria College (Sir Thomas Hunter), in a report, said that Mr. Valder’s effort as an industrialist to promote peace in industry by means of the partnership idea had been internationally recognised. Sir Thomas warmly commended the proposed research as of great social importance.

Democracy, he said, was supremely interested in the relations of man with man, both in national and international affairs, and these were very closely inter-related. The Vice-Chancellor added that the trust deed provided for an advisory committee, to consist of nominees of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Victoria College the Employers’ Federation and the' Federation of Labour, together with the donor and the holder of the membership. It would have power to co-opt other members.