HOW TO PACE LABOUR UNREST

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 202, 21 May 1919, Page 10

HOW TO PACE LABOUR UNREST

THE NEED FOR KNOWLEDGE. The Bishop of Durham, as "the neighbour and, in things moral and religious,' the servant of a great industrial population," has contributed an interesting and forcible letter to "Tho Times" on tho present Labour unrest. Ho pleads-urgent. ly in support of a real campaign of publicity with regard to national finance, partly because a good deal of ignorance naturally exists among tho labouring classes concerning it and partly as an antidote to tho teachings of the revolutionaries who nre definitely attempting to stir up an industrial war. He says: "A host ,of working ,meu, including many of the thoughtful, are sure that the wealth of tiie country is a bottomless store, deep enough certainly to make ovoryone copifortable. with a low -minimum of work, nnd that/ this is selfishly held back by 'capitalists.' This great illusion is a vantage ground for the revo. hltionnry. To meet and break it is infinitely well worth while. 'Jjhe means to this must largely take the form of 'publicity.' The broad truths about both resources (and their sources) and liabilities must be 'understood of the people.' Will not the Chancellor of the Exchequer set going, and promptly, a/ publicity campaign? He must use popular methods, condescending even to boldly legible posttors. The official, dialect must lie entirely dropped. But the plain words must state scientific and verifiable fact."

The' following extract from Mr. Thomas's address to the railwaymen supports the Bishop's words from another point of view: "There are two dangers we are. faced with. On the one hand are those people who cannot read the signs of the times, the reactionaries who believe they wero born to govern, and that they must enjoy the best things of life, and what is left is' good enough for the others. Tho days of these people nre doomed. Thero are those who believe you can revolutionise by mere industrial trouble, or introduce what is' called the Russian method into this country. I am as' bitterly opposed to tho one as to the other, because I holievo both are dangers-and must lie fought, nnd that both are against the best interests of the working classes. 1 plead with you rnilwaymen and women of the country not to take tho law into your own hands. The essence of dermocracy is to be loyal to those yoy have put into authority. Any other way will lead to disaster."