LABOUR UNREST

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1936, 19 December 1913, Page 8

LABOUR UNREST

. THE FUTURE PARLIAMENT. ... A DISTILLER'S VIEWS. Mr. I'. Jeffrey Maekie, of Messrs. Maekic and Co., Ltd., distillers, of Glasgow, recently made an interesting speech on the occasion of the presentation of bonuses to his workers. He referred to the future of politics, and stated that there would ultimately be only two parties—Capital anil Labour. Mr. Mackie said that ifc was two years since lie instituted the system of bonuses for long service. Their experiment had more than justified itself. This year they had given over £1700 in bonuses to I employees. One could not expect ilio best efforts out of the workers. unless tlioy were interested. Workers of five years received £3, seven years £5, and | ton years and over £10. They could | either rceeivc the money or invest it in uio company, which was priving pei cent, this year. He attributed the general unrest to a combination cf circumstances. First of all, politicians in their speeches, in order to win votes, were preaching class hatred. Then, ho thought-, party politics were a oiivse <f business. He would like an Imperial Parliament which would bo independent paid sincere and vote according to what was best- for the country. Ho looked to the future with some misgiving, bo cause lie believed that in ten years the present parties would be swept away, and the two parties would l>e Capital awl Labour.'"'it would' be. a regrettable Dosit-ion if antagonism *cro developed between Camtal asul Labour. If diplomatically directed there should be cooperation. • Another eainn of pie unrest was the increased cost of liviiift. The £1 of today was only wqH.li compared with a few years ago. Unfortunately. ]? ail ion! poli.:y had laid a heavy, lnsid of taxation on the home producer. The free imports hid the effect of keeping down the price of the homo article, ami prevented the producer here paying a tetter wage. The agricultural industry bad been si rangled 'to get cheap food. Somothine like 4,00(1.000 .acres of land had passed nut of cultivation. Wo could not- grow wheat and corn to pay decent Rent's lfad fallen about.so per ccnt. in 25 years. For t,ho national safnty thov should endeavour t-o fiiul employment for all our own lath and 1 'Referring to Mr. Lloyd-George's laud campaign, Mr. Mackie said the only harrier" in fho freer transfer of land was the heavy fees of the lawvers and the expensive stamp duties. He advocated"the limiting of the size of estates r.iul tlio institution of the small holdings. ■'