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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0566.PDF
The following are reported by the War Office:— Killed. Lieut. C. E. L. Skedons, Cent. Ont., attd. R.A.F.Previously Missing, now reported Killed. 2nd Lieut. J. H. Corbet, Shrop. L.I., attd. R.F.C.2nd Lieut. W. M. Kent, R.F.C. Capt. J. G. J. Kilkelly, R. Muns. F., attd. R.F.C: Accidentally Killed.2628 S. N. Marsden, Aus. F.C. 27571 G. F. J. Needham, Aus. F.C. Died. 19826 S. Grigson. Aus. F.C. Wounded. 951 R. M. Troy, Aus. F.C. - :. MAY 23, 1918. Previously Missing, now reported Wounded andPrisoner in German hands. Lieut. C. M. McCann, Can. M.G.C., attd. R.A.F. Missing.Lieut. S. A. Hustwitt, Can. Eng., attd. R.A.F. Lieut. A. J. Melanson, Can. For. C, attd. R.A.F.Lieut. P. J. Stuart-Smith, Can. Cav., attd. R.A.F. Previously Missing, now reported Prisoners inGerman bands. .md Lieut. R. H. Edelston, R.F.C.Lieut. H. K. Love, Aus. F.C. Lieut. F. J. Westfield, Manch., artd. R.F.C. Previously Missing, now reported Prisonerin Turkish hands. Capt. W. L. Haight, W. Ont., attd. R.A.F. TRADE PARLIAMENTS AND THEIR WORK. By ERNEST J. P. BENN, Chairman Industrial Reconstruction Council. V.—GOVERNMENT STORES. THE Trade Parliaments which are now being formed willfind such a long programme of work to get through that it will be difficult for them at first to decide exactly whereto start. They will be wise if they put near the top of their agenda the consideration of the question of the disposalof Government stores. The scandals which followed the disposal of Army property after the South African Warare fresh in the minds of readers. These scandals were quite in accordance with precedent, as every war has always beensucceeded by the most unbusinesslike proceedings in the matter of stores. If nothing worse than our South African expe-riences were possible there would, after all, be little cause to worry about the matter. The fact that a few peoplewere ruined and a few more made fortunes by doubtful means is of trivial importance, but when the present warcomes to an end a situation will arise such as has never been known. It has been said that this is a war of peoples aswell as a war of armies. If one may judge from the catalogues of goods which have been bought by Government Depart-ments in the name of the war it becomes obvious that this conflict has indeed involved the whole of our people and thewhole of our property. Raw materials of every kind are to-day almost exclusively the property of the Government.Wool, leather, cotton, and all the metals hardly exist for private purposes. The markets in these goods, which werefour years ago the centres of interest in their respective trades, have disappeared. Dealings as we knew them nolonger take place, and the whole fabric of trading in these commodities, which has in most cases been the work ofgenerations, has absolutely disappeared. Rightly or wrongly for the purposes of the war, the Government has put certainclasses of traders completely out of business. This is most noticeable in connection with raw materials. We havebeen accustomed to rely upon importers, brokers, jobbers, factors, merchants, and wholesalers, and in the case of thewheat, timber, wool, and other staples most of these agencies have been dispensed with. The situation at the end of thewar therefore will be that the Government will possess hundreds of millions worth of materials, and it is of vitalimportance that the old markets and all that they involved or some new machinery capable of performing the samefunctions shall be ready to deal with the Government and take over these materials for peaceful trading purposes.The space at our disposal only permits of the mentioning of this truly appalling problem in its barest outline. It isbrimful of difficulties, and in its details it concerns almost every citizen. The most obvious danger may be statedvery simply. The price of a given commodity may have risen to five times the pre-war figure, and traders all overthe country will be holding stocks of materials or finished goods which they have acquired at current prices. If atthe end of the war the Government were to let loose upon the market its holding of this commodity the whole trade would be absolutely ruined at a stroke. Another case,equally simple, may be mentioned. The Government is the owner of probably three-quarters of all the motor vehiclesin existence, and when the war is over these might be put upon the market and buyers filled up with second-handgoods. In the meantime, however, the motor trade has devoted itself to munitions and aeroplanes, has modifiedits machinery and increased its facilities many times, and will be absolutely dependent on the greatest possible demandfor new motor vehicles. The question will have to be settled as to whether the public are entitled to buy second-handfrom the Government or whether they are to be encouraged to buy new goods from the trade. Upon the settlement ofa question like this depends the life of the motor trade. These are two obvious cases, but there are many hundredsof others. In fact, it would be difficult to find a trade which will not be affected to some extent by a similar situation.The Minister of Reconstruction has appointed a committee to enquire into the risks associated with falling values inconnection with stocks. Rising markets are very good from the trade point of view so long as they continue to rise,but when the top of the curve is reached and the fall begins the position of traders becomes extremely serious. Ourbusiness men will have obviously to arrange to overcome any difficulties connected with such stocks as they will holdwhen the day of peace arrives. These difficulties will be bad enough, and they are undoubtedly entitled to ask thatthey shall not be accentuated by ill-timed action in con- nection with Government stores. This is the crux of thewhole matter. The traders must state their views before the Government can know what is and what is not a wisecourse of action. The circumstances in connection with each material andeach class of goods will be different, and those interested in each class must get together and present their plans fordealing with the situation when it arises. It is really sur- prising how little attention has hitherto been given to thisgreat problem of Government stores. We are all so occupied with the problems connected with the conduct of the warthat we have not the time to think of the questions thatwill arise later, but the most superficial consideration of thematter will show that unless Capital and Labour join together now and produce on behalf of each trade detailed schemesfor dealing with the enormous issues involved in connection with matters like these there will be very little chance of arapid transition to a condition of industrial peace. The man in the street is inclined to think that industrial peacedepends entirely upon a better understanding between employers and employed. If, however, employers andemployed were bound together by bonds of eternal friend- ship there would be no industrial peace so long as nojbasisexisted for any market and there were no plans for dealing with materials and products. "Captain Ball, V.C." THERE have been many tributes paid to the memorv ofCapt. Ball, V.C., and yet another is the book which has been compiled by Messrs. W. A. Briscoe and H. R. Stannard,mainly from letters written by Capt. Ball to his parents and sister. These letters reveal, as Mr. Lloyd George says in hisforeword, a " fine spirit of devotion to freedom, home and country," albeit they lift the veil of the intimate family lifeto an extent which was hardly necessary. Of course the letters contain many references to his flying, but it is a pitythat the editors did not strive to bring out this side of Ca.pt. Ball's career more prominently. With all its imperfections,however, there will be many who will be glad to have this further record of one who Major-General Sir Hugh Trenchardsays " was quite out of the ordinary ; no task was too great for him to tackle, and no little detail was too small for him tosee to if it affected his work." The book, illustrated by 16 photographs, is published by Herbert Jenkins, Ltd., at 6s. net. 564
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