The Otautau Standard And Wallace County Chronicle Tuesday January 7th, 1919 Reconstruction.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume XIV, Issue 710, 7 January 1919, Page 2

The Otautau Standard And Wallace County Chronicle Tuesday January 7th, 1919 Reconstruction.

The sudden cessation of hostilities has hroan upon the nations engaged m the var fresh and formidable problems to solve ; >roblems as difficult to solve as the war taolf. Fully thirty millions of men, engaged for»over four 3*ears m destruction, are •eleased to re-enter civil occupations ami igain tako part m constructive work. I'hese men have peen under military con« irol and discipline ; they havo also beei< id receipt of military, pay, m many cases sertainly small, still it., was regular apd idequate for thoir . needs. Their families too have to a large extent boon provided for through tho- military machine. Discharge means that thone avenues of income cl< se and the men £have' to seek civil employment. ' Experieuoo has proved the extreme danger of suddenly releasing large bodies of men from military control without provision having first been made for their absorption into civil life at congenial and remunerative occupationp. This, way feads to Bolshevism, anarchy and revolution. Experience has also proved that the military tribunal is not the best oue to settle the returning soldier to civil life. If tho old order of supply and demand and competition is going to prevail m antiwar conditions as m pro-war days there i& a bad time ahead. ' . . ' The war lus created a new brotherhood and if civilisation ir to bo maintained and better conditions prevail that new brothorhood has got to be extended to work-a-day conditions m tie future. The Repatriation Department must bo creative and constructive, it must co-operate through local Boards with civil life m all its places, pro- i fesaional, manufacturing, agricultural, m- I dustrial and scientific. If all are to succeed the old hostility and distrust as between the employer and employed must ( cease, the go-slow policy be done away with as an unpayable- proposition for both sides, Mutual advantage must bo shared, mutual responsibilities taken and trust and co-operation prevail. To bring this about will require taot and ekill and tbo constitution oa Repatriation Boards will have a great deal to do. with the success of the scheme, Compulsory arbitration is being is being questioned aa to its soundness m settling industrial disputes and we. aro disposed to consider there ia good-, ground, for objection. v Conciliation Councils on the other hand have invariably proved offective m smoothing away difficulties and m giving both sides a bettor understanding. of one another. If the Government, .the Repatriation Boards and others having the settlement of returned sodiera into civil life, will recognise, and also' principals on both sides, employer and employees, will recognise that one is the essential counterpart of the other partners m adding tin* ' to . world's happinoss and prosperity, there will be little trouble. Adequate pay for honest work must bo provided for and hones'work for adequate pay iiui'ft- ho given t" conduct* to tliat respect and trust which alone can bring about .contentment. . Tha question ot lui'.mpl'ij'ittimr dnrinj.', illness,". trade depression, etc, requires t- t>. faced and provided for ; so that, tlie sneoT . of want will menace the home!* : workers. At present this question is m an extremely unsatisfactory stato. Wages aro fixed m accordance with an award, presuhiably those wages have to meet all contingencies' Au employer, he may be a farmer, a manufacturer, or anything else has to make provision during' tunes' of prosperity to carry him over times of adversity. He cannot go back on people he has dealt with m prosperous times and al) • refunds or compensation when depression Or disaster arrive; Tho payment of the wages of the worker shdnld insure a similar provision that is against sickness or onemployment, but m the majority of cases no such provision is made. Illness overtake a worker, if he is a daily wage- man his wages stop. If he is engaged by the ' week or month, he is probably given notioe that his place is filled and his pay stops. The latter instance is provocator ol muoh heartbreaking. The employer m self protection, cannot continue paying wages, to a man giving him no service and yet old associations or past faithful services influence him Against giving notice. Thus complications arise. All compacts between employer and employed should provide for continuance of income during siokness or distress, and thiß oould bo brought about j by Compulsory Provident Insurance of a National Character. . v The creation of such a fund can only be possible by the hearty co-operation of both parties and by mutual contribution from eaoh. No doubt, Government has already .given attention to these matters, but 1 If so the pubic have not been enlightened to any extent. The returned soldier is .going to play a groat part ih the future of the "Dominion and must receive- a Bquaxe deal. '" • .