ort any local charity, has been rapidly disappearing.
There still are, however, many employers to whom the happiness and
welfare of their workpeople is a matter of deepest concern. They have a
human interest in them, and take a pride in improving the conditions of
their life. They have other aims than simply securing as big a dividend
as possible for the eager shareholders of a huge combine. It is, no
doubt, usually large employers of labour who are thus able and willing
to make provision for the welfare of the people in their employ. Some
have established libraries and reading-rooms, and have provided classes
for giving instruction likely to be useful to the boys and young men
engaged in their works. Conditions of labour would be greatly improved
if the example of the best firms in such matters were generally
followed.

The more complete organisation of trades under powerful councils may
tend to a virtual monopoly being obtained by a limited number of large
and influential firms, and the result may be prejudicial to the consumer
by limiting competition. That is not certainly the object, but it may be
an incidental effect of the organisation which is needed for full
development of the system of councils. In some cases State support and
control acting in conjunction with private firms of great influence is
to be introduced to unify an industry under one management. Support and
control may possibly be necessary in some cases, but the extension of
such methods should be jealously watched. In the manufacture of dyes,
for example, it seems that the Government and a very powerful
manufacturing firm or combination are arranging to act together. Those
outside this combination will have no chance of competing. In this
particular case the scheme may be useful, but careful provision is
necessary to protect customers for the commodities produced. It may
become a very serious thing for manufacturers of piece goods when
struggling to maintain their position in the world markets, and the
slightest addition to cost of production may close a market to them, if
they find that they cannot purchase the dyes they require in the
cheapest market, or those who dye goods for them must increase their
charges, because one organisation can fix prices, and import from abroad
is prohibited in order to protect a special home industry.

Possibly it may be necessary for a time to give such protection to
certain industries, involving a preliminary expe