it 1s inevitable that reductions in hours will prove one of 
the principal means of absorbing displaced labour if a 
grave and chronic unemployment problem is to be avoided. 
These considerations, however, have no real place in the 
spasmodic and unrelated methods of private enterprise, 
but assume national planning, organisation and control for 
their practical application. 
This may be seen, for example, in the Tinplate Trade—a 
trade which in certain important directions, such as inter- 
national arrangements and the regulation of its production, 
has shown some appreciation of the value of organised effort 
and co-ordination of policy. Yet in the absence of any 
authoritative control we have the spectacle of additional 
mills being erected while the trade was operating twenty 
per cent. below its productive capacity and in other 
respects a minority of producers threatening the whole 
stability of the trade by a refusal to co-operate with their 
fellow-producers for the common interest. 
But there is another aspect of the “‘rationalising”* 
methods private! enterprise promotes, namely, the dis- 
regard of social obligations in respect of the effect 
upon local communities by the closing of works without 
any pre-considered arrangements as to the disposal of the 
labour displaced. In the tinplate trade the workpeople 
have themselves by voluntary effort sought to mitigate 
the results of that lack of foresight by the adoption of a 
six-hour shift. - 
The fundamental changes in world conditions make 
changes in direction and control of important industries 
and services imperative, but there appears to be little 
evidence: that these will evolve within the iron and steel 
industry to a sufficient extent to meet the needs of the 
1uture. 
In the circumstances it is clear that the time has come 
when possible alternatives have to be considered. The 
failure of the efforts made through existing machinery 
places a responsibility upon the Government, for, as the 
Confederation submitted to the Baldwin Government in 
1928, “no Government, whatever its political complexion, 
can justifiably ignore conditions which bear upon the wel 
fare and stability of a great basic industry.” 
When considering the situation of the iron and steel 
industry and its future position in our industria] system, 
the question of the bearing of the Free Trade policy of 
this country upon the problem inevitably arises. It has 
proved a highly controversial question, but nevertheless 
it is one that must be faced. 
Our view in this matter accords with that expressed by 
Edgard Milhaud in his Annals of Collective Economy, 
(14)