A MANIFESTO!

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 7

A MANIFESTO!

EMPLOYERS' CAMPAIGN. . i "SPRINGS OF INDUSTRY J3EWO POISONED." LABOUR'S UNSOUND POLICY. "Circular No. 81," issued l.y tko Ne\? Zealand Employers' Federation, takes tho form of a strong nnt.i-Socii>l--istic,. . anti-Labour agitator uianij feslo, designed to show Low the. continual dissent ion caused by tko "ok' ganised effort of a comparatively small and irresponsible body of men" is poison« ing illn springs of industry in this co'vfy try. Tho manifesto embodies reasons 10%' tlie new forward movement 011 (ho part of the employers of New Zealand, and oxplains Hie aims and objects of tko federation. It reads as follows:— "Tho New Zealand Employers' Federation has appointed organising ofluurf to interview employers mid others it every town and country district through out tho Dominion. It is tho desire of th federation to arouso the interest of r sponsible citizens of every cle.ss, inclua ing, of course, that largo percentage 0. industrious . and\ thrifty working-inci upon whom' tho I stability and progress, of tho country mainly depends. \ Industries Retarded. ! "Tho Employers' Federation holds that it can bo proved by jio'tual facts that tho streams of industrial enterprise (Trq being iretardied, indeed that the very' springs of industry arci being poisoner by tho organised efforts of a comparaj lively small and irresponsible body o£ men who possess very littlo if any, of tho necessarily delicate opurat tions of industrial progress, and who, being dissatisfied with everything and everybody, preach a policy of destruction and anarchy. Their cry is: 'Down with Governments and Constitutions,' and every form of law and ordor which ma.v' attempt to restrict their operations, and to keep them within tho limits of e well-regulated community. Unsound Doctrinci. "Tko' Employers' Federation believoi lliese doctrines to bo unsound, and thai no beneficial result or permanent rook has ever.been accomplished in any country through such theories. Experience has shown that few men think really' critically. 011 any subject; tho man of whatever class is usually willing that his political and industrial policy shall c.oino to him 'ready mado' from tho . executive officers of tlio society in which ho' is by self-interest most closely allied, and having become a natty to tho election ; of officers of such body, 110 either oponlj or passivoly rapports whatever priv { gramme may bo issued by them. An Awakening Needed, "Tho cxocutivo of tho Employers' ITe4» eration desires if possiblo to arouso the community from a lethargy that threatens very serious eonsequonocs if allowed to continue. It may be that tho actlv- 1 ity of employers, as such, will tend to I creato an added activity lii tho ranks j of Labour, and should such prove to I be the case. nothing but good would result, there being 110 doubt thai us individuals tlio great bulk of tlio 1 workers of this country hold moderate ; and safe views regarding Labour problems. This has beau demonstrated many.' times by the operation of the ballot, aj case in point being tho Inst Mayoral elec-s tion in Auckland. This election was inado ' 11 clear test by : tlio extreme section of!] workers known as the Federation ofs Labour, and resulted in the defeat of tho candidate put forward byj that body, tho figures showing 11 majority for Mr. Parr (who stood for equity and good citizenship) by somewhere about three or tour to one.

"Notwithstanding the above fact?,, we find that tho public utterances of tho extreme Labour section arc becoming; morol. revolutionary every day, proving that the'; opinions of (ho great body of the workers are not considered by tho Labour leaders, j who, relying upon, the indifference or in- j activity of tho groat majority of with regard to organisation work, urge in" tho name of all workers the reckless and. destructive practices of anarchy and ■ syndicalism. ' • The Self-Reliant Past. "In New Zealand we have no really | leisured or idlo class such as obtain in : older countries; neither have we any actual poverty. This lam 1 , was not in- , herited as a country fully developed by ■ the work and industry of centuries past, but has been won Vrom its natural linproductivo state by the energy and brains i of an industrious, loyal, and determined 1 people, many of whom aro still living, nnd ; who have watched with pride the develop- • mont of tho various industries which liavo; given profitable employment to thousands j of our people. "That such employment has been pro-. Stable is prove*! by tho thousands ol i beautiful homes owned by tho workers : themselves, and which we believe obtain ; here to a greater extent than in any other country in tho world; ' A change, ; however, is taking place, the progress of our industries has been arrested, many lisivo been retarded and aro still going: back, many thousands of lioucst workers, trained in particular industries have, to a large extent, to depend upon the proper maintenance of those industries for tho material comforts of lifi». ( As already,, stated, many of these industries aro driftins; towards the point of danger, largely, we think, as the result of the destructive propaganda preached at street cornel's and other places by 111011 who have never done anythimi in lifo to warrant others in following their lead. Exchange of Opinions, "The officers of the federation are spending much of their time interviewing, representative employers in every line of industry, for tho purpose of obtaining a free exchange of opinion regarding theso great industrial problem?. -*l*ho experience thus gained should he invaluable, because it will enable the. federation to secure mature judgment tni'l practical exuericnrp of men who, by their 1 successful; lives, have proved themselves ijitalified to. be regarded as captains in their particular line-; of business or industry, nnd if. when this work is completed, we can place our. facts and (inures in a clear ami, roncise form'before the public, and sn arouse, not only the business man,_ but; also the worker,'to a sense of true citizenship, we will have gone 11 Jong way towards nccomnlishing the object for which our organisation is now being extended. Federation Objective. , "Shortly .slated the, aims of the federation are:— 1. To oppose the extreme agitators, (syndicalists, and revolutionary Socialists. 2. To promote the unity of tho genuine workers and employers for tho puri>o<o of developing the industries of the Dominion. 3. The education of public, oninion. ■t. The securing of industrial legislation which will benefit all classes of : the community as opposed to tho class legislation. 5, Tho. establishment of a defenen ■: fund, to bo used in tho furlheranco of the above objects, nnd which will j bo strictly controlled by trustee,s ap- j pointed to carry out the instructions j of tho federation. | A Call for Assistance. "In conclusion tho'executive of the New Zealand Employers' Federation urge! upon all who have any stake or interest i in the country, those who desire 'the besti for all,' and those who wish to see the! trades and industries of the Dominion< placed on a safe and sound footing to' support (both financially and by personal interest) the only industrial organisation which has the machinery to perform thc> functions involved in the pro^ramm, 1 set| forth above. ~ I "(Rgd) Wit. lIOI'ICIUK. President "Sgd) WM. I'KYOU, Secretary," (