HITLER'S GERMANY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22130, 8 June 1935, Page 10

HITLER'S GERMANY

CORPORATIVE STATE 4 WORKING OF SYSTEM LIMITED PROGRESS MADE, PLANS AND BEGINNINGS Further glimpses of the scheme for industrial reconstruction in Germany, under Hitler's regime, are given by Mr. Aubrey L. Williams, special , European correspondent of the New Zealand Jlera.u>, in the appended article. Ihe Corporative • State system is explained ; and information is given regarding the limited extent to which the principle has already been applied. In industry and commerce in Germany there appears to now very little freedom of action left to the proprietors. The merchant in the foreign trade has to secure a licence to import each parcel of goods, and the Control Board may tell him which country he ! is to import from, the quality of the goods he must buy, and the price at •which he must sell them in the home market., The hands of the manufacturer are Similarly tied by governmental regulations, which determine what quanti'ties of raw materials, and what kind ho is permitted to use. As regards labour the manufacturer is not only bound by rigid official wage scales —which have replaced union wages—but he is not free to employ the workers most fitted for jobs. He may be ordered to dismiss a worker under 25 years of age and employ an older, even if less efficient, man, although in such a case the employer receives a subsidy of 50 maiks a month. In agriculture, where planning is jnore thoroughly developed than in any Other branch of economic activity, the only restriction is on vine planting, but ,the Government fixes in advance the (quantity of grain the individual farmer gs to sell to the flourmills, and the price he is to receive. Further, such important fields as distribution and banking' are no longer open to any Saewcomer who has capital, initiative Hud experience. The opening of a grocery store, as well as the founding of a bank, both require a licence from (competent authorities. - Personal Leadership One of the main characteristics of JJationab-Soci alism is the leadership principle and the National Labour law, .which came into force last year, establishes the personal leadership and responsibility of the factory owner, or manager. Every firm or unit must have a leader, who is generally the owner or some person designated by ihim. The leader nominates a factory council. Employees by their votes may accept or reject these nominees, but they cannot name their own representatives. / • _ . _ _ If the proprietors are regimented the Xorkers are also held well in hand. The Labour front, I found, was the object Of scathing criticism. Dr. Ley, Minister of Labour, apparently, is one of the less competent of the Fuhrer's aides. {The Labour Front shepherds the ;workers both at work and in their leisure. It has absorbed all the old trade unions, but it is controlled by the Government, not by the workers. In factory and workshop a tendency is being more than ever manifested" to foster military discipline in the relations jbetween tie workers and their leaders. Unsuccessful Efforts Not all such efforts have been successful. Dr. Ley's attempt to introduce a roll call on a military pattern in all industrial enterprises met with such resolute opposition from employers and ;workers that it had to be abandoned. There is general complaint of the financial exactions of the Labour Front. A worker told one of my friends that he was mulct eight marks weekly of his wage of forty marks. In refutation of euch statements the Front claims that whereas the annual average contribution to "the old trade unions was 43.90 marks the Front's exaction was but 18.72 marks; and it also claims to have spent 100 million marks in subsidies to labour settlements last year. _ The major efforts of the Front are in the direction of after-work occupation. Its "Strength Through Joy" organisatipn is modelled upon the Fascist Dopolavoro, and last year 20 million marks .were expended upon the promotion of 'workers' sport, education and amusement, such as travel tours at low cost, and in the institution of workers nights at operas, theatres and concerts. There is emphasis on welfare, but an ignoring of workers tights of bargaining on questions orhours and wages. JThe Two First Pillars Economically, Germany is nominally Organised as a Corporative State. Actually like other European corporative states, comparatively little progress has been made in that direction. There & a lack of unity of opinion m National-Socialist Party circles regaling the number of ' 'estates' and their delimitation. Five ministries, or estates •—Economics, Reichsoank, Food (Agricultural), Propaganda and Labourhave been created, but two only, agriculture ; and propaganda, are m ttfll working order. They may claim to be the first pillars of the future complete Corporative State. t _ ~ . , , \n outline of the delimitation of functions in the Corporative State may be of interest. Over all is the Reich leader and chancellor, Herr Hitler. Functioning or planned to function under the Ministry of Economics are the Foreign Exchange Board, 25 Control Boards, and a Price Control Commissioner, while constituting the Reich Economic Chamber are • Industry, Economic, Occupational, and Regional Groups, Regional Economic Chambers, and Chambers of Commerce. The subbranches of the Reichsbank are the Conversion Office, Clearing Office, and the Bank Control Board. Frame With Unfinished Picture Within the Food Ministry is the Agricultural Estate, with its Monopoly Marketing Beards (grain, oils and fats, dairy, eggs, livestock and meat), and compulsory cartels of processing tries, comprising flourmills, vegetable canning,, fisheries and fish canning, starch, sugar, margarine, potato flakes and mixed fodder. ' , . The Ministry of Propaganda has its Advertising Council and its Cultural Chamber, the latter with subsidiaries in the form of film, art, theatre, radio, press, music and literary _ chambers, while under the Labour Ministry are lo Regional Labour Trustees and the Labour Front, having 19 industrial groups. Such is the economic organisation or Germany. It is a frame which, as yet, etill awaits the completed picture.