"THE OVERSTOCKING OF THE LABOUR MARKET."

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 212, 1 June 1908, Page 8

"THE OVERSTOCKING OF THE LABOUR MARKET."

On , Sunday night, at His Majesty's Theatre. Mr. H. H. Smith gave an address 011 i *10 „ overstocking of- tho labour market; He stated that Socialists were inclined to accept statements by their lead- .?« '? movement, ,without reason, and that truths from other sources were passed by. He cited as a case ..in point the'muchworn doctrine of Malthus,' " that population tended to increase geometrically, food arithmetically. Nature' restricted the increase or all forms of life by famine and pestilence, and it rested with man to decide whether his increase should bo restricted by personal restraint or by nature's check, poverty. Socialism without this restraint. would ultimately lead to universal povorty, as population would bo restricted by shortage of tood. socialists who maintain that the State Sj. U i P£ 0VK l e fowl for all must grant the state tho power to restrict the rate of increase. The right to live, of which they' ™ .? 3°-rouclv should be altered to "tho right to livo if they have tho power.". Tho purchasing power of a man's wages would not bo increased until the number of the workers was considerably curtailed, poverty being nature s_ method of curtailment, under existing conditions. Several speakers pointed out that it was tho lack of scientific use of tho land that restricted food supply, and that, poverty existed irrespective of population. .