The want of such machinery became apparent in many imperfectly organized industries in the early part of the war, and in October 1916, “the Whitley Committee” was appointed by the Prime Minister with the following terms of reference: (1) To make and consider suggestions for securing a permanent improvement in the relations between employers and workmen. (2) To recommend means for securing that industrial conditions affecting the relations between employers and workmen should be systematically reviewed by those concerned, with a view to improving conditions in the future. Of this Committee the present Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right Hon. J. H. Whitley, was Chairman. It comprised representatives of the employers and also of the Trade Unions engaged in some of the great industries. The Committee presented five reports recommending what is now known as the Whitley Councils Scheme. Joint National and District Industrial Councils In its first Report (_Parliamentary Paper_, 1917, Cd. 8606) the Committee recommended the establishment for each of the principal industries of a triple form of organization, representative of employers and employed, consisting of National Joint Councils, Joint District Councils and Works’ Committees, each of the three forms of organization being linked up with the others, so as to constitute an organization covering the whole of the trade, capable of considering and advising upon matters affecting the welfare of the industry and giving to Labour a definite and enlarged share in the discussion and settlement of industrial matters with which employers and employed are jointly concerned, each Council and Committee exercising such powers and duties as are determined by negotiation between the employers and the Trade Unions in the industry in question. As part of its second Report (_Parliamentary Paper_, 1918, Cd. 9002) the Committee proposed for trades in which organization is weak or non-existent the adoption of the system of Trade Boards, and for trades in which organization was considerable, but not yet comprehensive, a system of Joint Councils, with Government assistance, to be dispensed with in each case as soon as these industries advanced to the stage when the full organization could successfully be created for them. The Committee also proposed a scheme in its second Report under which the National Joint Council of an industry, once it had agreed upon a minimum standard of working conditions for those employed in the industry, could secure the enforcement of those conditions either throughout a given district or over the whole country. Works’ Committees