THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1409, 9 April 1912, Page 6

THE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH.

Sir,—ln consequence of a letter of mine, which appeared in the "New Zealand Herald" of March 12, I received ono from a man hitherto unknown to me, in which ho calls attention to the terrible state of uurest universal among' Anglo-Saxon communities, indeed, we may say, throughout the civilised world. To any thoughtful mind it must be apparent that things cannot go on much longer as they are now. From time to time we read in the papers of tlio immense profits made by the shareholders in the great American trusts—the Standard Oil, the Beef Trust, the Steel' Trust, etc. I nm not one of those who condemn these trusts as having nothing but evil in them. On the contrary I consider they are a modern development, and it is for us to consider what good use we can make of them. Wo have to bear in mind that these trusts are mainly responsible for the concciilratioii of wealth and capital into a few people's hands, and it is from this cause—tho very unequal distribution of wealth—that most of our social troubles arise. The great problem is how to bring about a more equal distribution. It is clear that no question of shillings per day can effect it. The great mass of the people must always bo the workers; therefore the permanent prosperity of Hie whole community must depend, largely depend, on the elevation of tlio workers. It is clear that if tlio present system of agitation is to continue the result must be greatly increased cost of production. Will this permanently benefit anybody? It appears to me that it will not; while the benefit to. the workers will l:o of the most temporary nature. The task we have before us is a complete reformation of our social system. No littlo thing will do. What it appears to me wo have to discover is some just and proper way of sharing profits. A cablegram appeared in the "Herald' on the Ist inst., in which it is stated that during the last nine yeaxs tlio American Steel Trust made an average yearly profit of twenty-two and a quarter million pounds sterling. The question is to whom does this huge profit rightfully belong? It has been assumed that it belongs of right to thoso who have had the capital and opportunity to start these enterprises. v I cannot help thinking that this conclusion will liavo to bo re-consid-ered. There appears to mo to bo the great problem before us, of how to pay labour better without increasing the cost of production. The present method of forcing from employers a higher rate of pay per day by striking is probably about as 'bad a method as can be, and can only mean a temporary relief. What wo shall bo forced to is somo system of sharing the profits inado in our various industries. I have given this subject very careful consideration and tho best conclusion I can arrive at is as follows:— 1. We must first permanently classify our various industries and fix the wages for eacli industry to start with. .This in my opinion in most cases should very littlo, if at all, exceed present rates. 2. Payment by the day to bo abolished, and payment by tho hour substituted. This would enable those who wished to work for only six hours in a day to do so, if master and employes wore agrced. 3. All costs of working mines or factories to be also reduced to so much per hour, that is per working hour. i. All profits also to bo reckoned at so much per hour. 5. After deducting every cost of production the balance of net profit to be divisible in the following manner: 3 per cent to be paid on tho capital invested in tho concern by the present owner or owners; 5 per cent to the workers according to tho number of hours thoy had worked. Should there be any balance of profit .left the whole of that balanco to be paid to the consolidated fund and go in reduction, of taxation. It seems to mo to be an eminently fair proposal that a large proportion of our taxation should como from the> profits of our : great industries.—l am, etc., SAMUEL VAILE. Auckland, March 26.