Discipline Among Workers
The whole community is in a certain sense under discipline now, but there is still a wide gulf between the discipline applied in the services and that which exists in civilian industry ; and without absolute conscription of labour, which few at this stage of the war would recommend, that gulf will continue to exist. Adequate means of preventing voluntary absenteeism or persistent lateness, which together are responsible for the annual loss of millions of man-hours, have not yet been found. The recent tightening up of the regulations will serve asa deterrent, but will not solve the whole problem. Under an order which came into force this week, a person engaged on " essential work" becomes an offender if he deliberately absents himself or is persigtently late, and proceedings may at once be taken against him, or he may be dealt with by a works committee where such a body is in .being. By this means the cumbrous procedure hitherto applied will be avoided. But though punitive measures may be necessary in some cases, they will be no substitute for keenness among the men themselves. To enlist the right frame
of mind is far the surest way of getting labour to do its full part in production. An interesting experiment is being made by Mr. Gibson Jarvie, North-West Regional Port Director, who pro-
poses to withdraw all disciplinary regulations for a week, and Put men on their honour to work as hard as they can. They will be free agents, but their own fellows will be their judges. If the scheme justifies itself it will be continued. It remains to be seen which will get the better results—trust and the team spirit, or courts of discipline,
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