Up to the end of 1921 Joint Industrial Councils had been established in 73 industries and services; 15 are at present in suspense; 1 has been absorbed by another Council. In addition, there are 10 active Interim Industrial Reconstruction Committees in trades to which the Whitley Scheme cannot as yet be fully applied owing to lack of organization. The Joint Industrial Councils and Reconstruction Committees at present functioning cover about 3¾ million workpeople. The Whitley Scheme contemplates the establishment, under the National Joint Industrial Councils, of District Councils—equally representative of employers and employed—and Works’ Committees, comprising management and men in equal numbers, and many such bodies have been formed. The activities of Joint Industrial Councils have been directed largely to the settlement of wages claims and the adjustment of working hours, two problems forced into special prominence by the abnormal economic conditions of the past few years. But other questions of working conditions, e.g. overtime payments, payments for holidays, walking-time allowances, out-working and subsistence allowances, fines for late arrivals have also been discussed by the Councils. Some have considered the problem of unemployment and arrangements for contracting out of the National Unemployment Insurance Scheme; others have prosecuted statistical investigations and research into their particular industries; all of them have considered questions of welfare in conjunction with the Home Office; certain of them have considered some commercial matters which affect their industries. The Government agreed to regard a Joint Industrial Council as the Standing Consultative Committee for its industry, and in a number of instances matters such as the foregoing have been discussed on the initiative of the Government. A few Joint Industrial Councils do not deal with wages questions, viz., building, boot and shoe, paper making, printing, and metallic bedsteads, as machinery for the settlement of wages existed in these trades before the Councils were established and it was thought by the industries better to continue such machinery. Certain industries in which organization of employers and employed is well developed, such as iron and steel, coal, cotton, engineering, shipbuilding, have not favoured the formation of a Joint Industrial Council. In them conciliation boards or some well-recognized machinery is in existence for the settlement of disputes. These facts show the results which have attended the efforts of the Ministry of Labour, acting in tactful co-operation with the employers and employed in various industries, to set up Joint Industrial Councils. Industry’s Own Conciliation Machinery