We are glad to record that the Conference of Government
and Labour representatives at the Treasury reached a staves.- ful conclusion on Friday week. The Labour representatives agreed to recommend to the Trade Unions a scheme the chief points of which may be summarized as follows : (1) There shall be no stoppage of work on munitions or equipment during the war. (2) Disputes shall be the subject of con- ferences between the parties, with an ultimate appeal to arbitrators. (3) An Advisory Committee representative of the workers shall be appointed by the Government. (4) The inevitable relaxation of Trade Union principles shall be only for the period of the war. (5) The rates of pay shall not be affected adversely by the admission of semi-skilled or female labour. We earnestly hope that no more will be beard of slack work. Those who produce armaments and equip- ment are, as it were, on active service. The saving or losing of thousands of lives depends upon them. They may not have grasped the fact at first, but now that they understand. it we do not believe for a moment that they will fail their comrades in the trenches.
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