e man or woman who saves
now and invests is one of our soundest reconstructors.

In the readjustments in industry that must come there will be
temporary displacements, and the money invested will be invaluable
to those affected. In our great task of reorganizing industries, of
renovating and repairing, of building up new works and adding to our
productiveness, finance is all-important. We shall need large sums for
the development of our industry, for the transferring of war work back
to peace pursuits, for the opening up of new industries and work, for
the development of trade abroad and the selfish using up of resources
that could be conserved, makes the work harder--might even, if
extravagantly large, cripple us seriously at the end of this struggle.

The sacrifices of our men can achieve military victory, but weakness
and self-indulgence at home can take the fruits of their victories
away.

Those who are working and saving in our War Savings Movement are so
convinced of its value, not only to the state, but to the individual,
and for the character of our people, that they have expressed the very
strongest conviction that it should go on after the War, and it will
probably remain in our reconstruction.

We have also urged the wisdom of saving for the children's education
and for dots for daughters, so that our young women may have some
money in emergencies, or something of their own on marriage, and both
of these are being done.

The great problem of education bulks very large in our reconstruction
schemes. A new Education Bill for England and Wales has been prepared
by Mr. Fisher--and his appointment is in itself a sign of our new
attitude. He is Minister of Education and is really an educationist,
having been Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield University when given the
appointment. His Bill puts an end to that stigma on English education,
the half-time system in Lancashire, and raises the age for leaving
school to what it has been in Scotland for some years--sixteen years
of age. It provides greater opportunities for secondary and technical
training and improves education in every way. Its passage, or the
passage of a still better Bill, is essential for any real work in
reconstruction.

There are other schemes of education being planned and considered, and
women are working with men on the education committee of the Ministry
of Reconstruction.

The land question is all-important in reconstruction. We have fixed a