strain, but which in times of war have the effect of
restricting output. If these are withdrawn no doubt it increases the
strain on the men, and in a long course of years they could not stand
it. But in times of war everybody is working at full strain, and
therefore it is difficult to exaggerate the importance of suspending
restrictions which have the effect of diminishing the output of war
material.

The fourth point is that the danger of having stoppages of work by
means of strikes and lock-outs ought to be removed during the time of
the war. (Hear, hear.) I should have liked to have seen strikes and
lock-outs during the war made impossible in any trade, and I do not
despair of getting the assent of those who object to compulsory
arbitration under normal conditions to a temporary application of that
principle during the period of the war.

The next step is one in which the Trade Unions are concerned. There
was a very frank discussion between the leaders of the Trade Unions
and myself, and I was bound to point out that if there were an
inadequate supply of labor for the purpose of turning out munitions of
war which are necessary for the safety of the country compulsion would
be inevitable.

They put forward as an alternative that the Government should give
them the chance of supplying that number of men. They said, "Give us
seven days, and if in seven days we cannot get the men we will admit
that our case is considerably weakened." They asked us to place the
whole machinery of Government at their disposal, because they had not
the organization to enlist the number. We have arranged terms upon
which the men are to be enlisted, and tomorrow morning the seven days
begin. Advertisements will appear in all the papers, an office has
been organized, and the Trade Union representatives are sitting there
in council directing the recruiting operations. I am not sure, but I
believe my honorable friend Mr. Brace is the Adjutant-General.
Tomorrow we hope to be able to make a start. We have 180 town halls in
different parts of the country placed entirely at our disposal as
recruiting offices. We invite the assistance of everybody to try to
secure as many volunteers as they possibly can--men who are not
engaged upon Government work now, skilled men--to enroll themselves in
the Trade Union army for the purpose of going anywhere where the
Government invited them to go to assist in turning out different
munitions of war. If there a