15 MARCH 1935, Page 3

Industry and Government The common interest of employers and employed,

the necessity of co-operation with trade unions, the need for security of employment and progressively shorter hours— these and other sound principles are recognized in the general Statement on reorganization approved by the executive of the League of Industry last Saturday. But the main'purpose of the statement appears to be to insist that there should be "reasonable freedom from State control and administration,"- and that in cases where Parliament is to be asked to sanction schemes of re- organization the initiative shall come from the industry itself. The latter, as a universal proposition, has ceased to be tenable. There are cases, as in the iron and steel trades, where an industry comes to Parliament seeking special privileges ; when that happens, the Government must, on its own initiative, name the conditions which must first be satisfied. - That still leaves room for volun- tary schemes emanating from the industry.