Rebuilding Britain: A Survey of Problems of Reconstruction After the World WarHopkinson, Alfred, Sir
History
Rebuilding Britain: A Survey of Problems of Reconstruction After the World War
Hopkinson, Alfred, Sir
Reconstruction (1914-1939) -- Great Britain
3. Demobilise the army and decide what naval and military forces will
still have to be maintained, and what provision ought to be made in
regard to military training in the future.
4. Reform the War Office.[9] Reconsider the constitution and procedure
of courts martial, and provide for really judicial inquiry into
grievances. Revive and use the Territorial system.
5. Complete the arrangements for adequate pensions and develop means for
giving such technical training and providing such openings for work as
will enable partially disabled men to earn comfortable subsistence in
addition.
6. Provide permanent homes and sanatoria for those who are more
seriously injured, and find suitable light employment for those who can
undertake it.
7. Arrange the best places and provide proper training for discharged
soldiers and sailors (and others) who may be willing to settle on the
land.
8. Consider how to restore the discharged men to their former places or
accustomed work, and how to meet the needs of the temporary workers who
will be displaced.
9. Curtail the vast expenditure on the departments organised for War
work, reducing the staffs and finding other work for those who must be
discharged. Dispense altogether with some of the new Ministries. The
question of employment for women after the War will be most urgent.
10. Organise and correlate the various departments so as to secure more
efficiency, and so assign and arrange the work of each as to avoid
circumlocution, friction and waste.
11. Reconstitute the Cabinet on clearer lines, and let competence for
the work of each department, instead of recognition of party services,
be the guide in appointing the Minister responsible for each.
12. Reform the procedure of the House of Commons to check verbosity and
facilitate business.[10] Delegate certain powers and duties.
13. Find means for raising additional revenue and making the incidence
of taxation fairer. In particular, revise the provisions as to income
tax and death duties, so as to increase revenue without adding to the
hardships and burdens due to the present conditions. Some definite steps
with that object are quite practicable.
14. Examine what industries, if any, are to be specially fostered as
"key industries," and whether this can be done without injury to other
industries or adding to the heavy cost borne by the consumer.
15. Arrange plans for enabling labour to co-operate fully in settling
the conditions under which industry is to be carried on, and make
provision for preventing disputes, increasing production, allocating
profits fairly, and for reducing hours of work without diminishing
output.
16. Provide more and better housing, not only to secure the bare
accommodation necessary for health and decency, but also to make
attractive homes.
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