CAPITAL AND LABOUR
MUTUAL TRUST REQUIRED
AN INTERESTING SPEECH
Addressing the annual meeting of tho New Zealand Employers' Federation yesterday, the president i (Mr. T. Shailer VV'estou) delivered a speech that will ba read with interest by everyone interested in the industrial situation in New Zealand.
"The year," he said, "has been a streuous and anxious one. Commencing with the drivers' dispute, thero has been a constant series of industrial troubles since last November. The extremist leaders of the Labour Party have made use of the "go-slow' policy and the sectional strike in order to force concessions. Large increases in wages liava been granted during the year, and th'is lias been one of the factors which have led to the increased cost of living, 'this increase is pressing hardly upon the general public, and it is high timo that the," should realise that they are the people most directly, interested in these wages disputes. They must grip what is really ;i commonplace, that the eosti of all strikes and increased wages is in the end paid by,, them. Knowing- this, they must be prepared to take a hand in their settlement. To do this they must be chary of jumping to hasty conclusions after listening to popularly-vtorded generalities. Labour disputes nowadays "depend upon very minute differences, and only after a careful scrutiny ul thu whole, of the facts in dispute can anyone hope to arrive at a correct solution. Once the general public realises that the employer, _in refusing an increase of wages which will be_ paid by the consumer and not out of his profits, is really protecting the public, newspapers and their readers will hesitate to speak of capitalists' greed, intolerance, and lack, of generosity to their men. Jf not, then the employers in the future will find it easier to give way to the men and earn a cheap reputation for generosity at. the expense of a blind public. It is for tho public to choose.
"Having been very closely in touch with all' the labour disputes of the last twelve months, one is driven irresistibly to the conclusion that if Labour and Cap!-, tal in New Zealand a.re to be drawn close to each other after tho war, then each side must banish from its leadership and oseoutives mon of extreme and iutolorant views. Tliero is bo doubt (he lessons taught in the New Zealand 1913 strike and the recent great Australian strike have not yet been learnt. Tho Labour, leaders in Australia hoped two mouths ago, and even yet hope by collecting nil labour in one big union, under the thumb of a small executive, to bo able, by paralysing all industri.js in a country tit one blow, to secure all their demXlds, legitimate or otherwise. 'Lhese tactics failed in 1913 in New Zealand. Thujhavo failed in 1917 in Australia, but there is abundant evidenco that this design is still cherished in New Zealand by some of tho extremists. Employers and the general public, v.-ho will bo the main sufferers, must be on their guard against this menace of huge unions comprising members of diverio trades, whose control will be iu the hands of a central executive. Extremists aro constantly tirging the helplessness of Labour against the greed of the employers. This war cry is a mere fetish. Whatever its position was twenty years ago, to-day Labour is so organised that no employer would bo so I'oolisli, to put it on the lowest ground, as to atltinpt to refuse Labour its just rights. The employer has- far too much to lose by a. stoppage. So far as defence is concerned, Lalxmr is sufficiently well armed now, and any further combination is not.defensive but offensive.
"If Labour and Capital are in tho future to co-operate more closely, there must lip more confidence and mutual trust. Any business mun knows Hint between firms whose word is tholr bond, business differences lire few. ; lt is this irait in Englishmen which has been ono of tho greatest factors iu tho building up of tho British Empire. In Thibet the bill of an Englishman was honoured where that of no merchant of another nation was. Labour and Capital must see to it that their lenders must always keep good faith with their opponents. Iu the prestfnt eeiunuii's strike, an agreement was come to upon tho express representation by -the ecamen'e representatives thnfc one, two, «r three men could bo worked in,a watch. Upon this understanding they received certain concessions. Bocauso those concessions unexpectedly to both sides did not result in tho gains anticipated by l!ic seamen, those leader* deliberately started to boom n public agitation on tho ground of safety against tho very principle of ono man in a watch to whioh they, with <i full knowlcdgo m seamen of its effects, had agreed as safe. How can Iradu unions -expect employers to meet in a. round table conforence leaders who can bo' guilty of such a shocking breach of good faith? How can Ihero bo that trust in their motives without which concessions can only be grudgingly given aiter t.heivery closest, sclnitiny ? Look tqo, how agreements, when comn to, have been broken during tho last year. The waterside workers received in April lust a now agreement with easier conditions and higher rales of pay. There is now uo better paid unskilled labour in New Zenland. Their leaders, when these concessions were mado, stated I hat friction would now cease, and tho men would gjvo a squnre deal. Yet because unions in Australia had entered upon what is now admitted to have been a. foolish and unpatriotic strike, a. steamer with transhipments for New Zealand urgently required was boycotted and allowed to lio undischarged for over three weeks. This action did not help the Australian unions. The ship was not returning to Australia. Tho only people injured were the New Zen-, land public. Surely before inflicting p.n injury upon their own country the members of a trade ,union might, satisfy themselves whether the workere'in Australia will benefit by their action, and even if they would, whether these workers are in the right. \
la these cases of sectional strikes Ihe Labour leaders alway throw the blame upon their followers. 'It is their uction/ they allege; 'we have nothing to do with it; we did not urge it upon them, and we will not make ourselves unpopular by opposing it.' The letters and records seized by the Government and put in evidenco in Auckland during the prosecution of certain leaders in connection with the coal strike shows how, hollow this contentioa is. Only last week, in the prosecutions of the two members of the Seamen's Union Executive, we had another typical example. The loyalty of rank and file of Labour to their leaders is exceptional, and the least those leaders can do its to keep them from conduct which .they themselves are afraid in a court of law to avow as their own.
"It cannot be too often reiterated that in the future a rise in wages without a corresponding growth in efficiency is not the proper method of improving the status of Labour. Wages in New Zealand are so high compared with other countries with whom we trade that further increases will only weaken and destroy industries. The only true solution is increased individual production due to mutual trust and co-operation between Labour and Capital. Labour must work more faithfully—Capitol must be .fair in granting to Labour its share of such better effort. To ensure this co-opera-tion Labour must not pin its faith to leaders who write 'No working-class organisation with,a semblance of backbone or the slightest knowledge of their position would subscribe to an organisation one of whose objiets was to promote a good understanding between the employers and employees'; to leaders whose word is not thi-ir bond, who are prepared by making admissions to gain ends, and those ends gained to disavow their admissions; who are prepared to treat their agreements as 'scraps of paper, and who will urge their followers 1o commit acts which they themselves are afraid to admit as their own. Tho employers will have to do their part too. Selfishness and greed in an individual employer is bad because lie injures not only himself but his class. So far as is economically possible, he must consider the interests of his employees and their comfort as he would his own. Both sides will have to learn much, but n botn sides do learn they will be Helping io build up a very great and happy nation."
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 26, 25 October 1917, Page 7
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1,430CAPITAL AND LABOUR Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 26, 25 October 1917, Page 7
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