WORKERS' EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 289, 2 September 1919, Page 5

WORKERS' EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

LECTURE AT PETONT3,

Thoro was • a'. fair attendance at Council Chambers; Potouo, last ervomng to hear a lecture on "Social Reconstruction," dolivored undor tho auspices of tho Workers' Educational Association by Mr. B. E. Murphy, of Victoria foUmMr. J. W. M'&van '(Mayor of Potone) introduced tho sneaker. , , Mr. Murphy in tho courso of bs lecturo said that at .times liiothe present whon they wwo all unsettled, they wora too wily open to convictions. Wh*it was reconstruction? It was a popular catchword of tho day. . From his own observations reconstruction meant two thines-ono being inoroased production of woalth, and the other bringing into existence organisations to distribute wealth in. a bettor manner than had horetoforo been tho case. Socialism mMit or might not como; co-operative operation in 'industry might come; -but whatever did como it would not corns quickly. It seemed a remarkable : tluug that tlio present system of capitalism was still carried on on such a largo scale. In regard to reconstruction generally ho wished to put some suggestions before them. • The restriction of production method should bo cut out altogether before they could think of reconstruction There wis a time whou Britain was tho worksliop of the world, but that position hod Commenced to slip away in the olghties. Industry had grown and developed ever since The trust, so despised by many, would be an advantageous- method.' me 6weat shop was always the small shop. The big industry needed-efficient men,- and it needed'to keep them. Tho bigger industries would treat their employees bctteT than tho smaller producer. Mr. Murphy referred at some length to tho succew of the Whitley system in England. There had always been a complaint of tho lack of tho application of scienco la industry. That was not duo to the ouiployers themselves, but to tho'fact that the industries ill existence were too 6inall to allow of any large expense on scientific rensearch. Cooperation and syndicalism on a largo scale would alter that. During tho war some glaring instances of conditions in England had como to light. Ho ventured to say that if tlio British .troops had been properly fed they could have pushed the Huns over the Rhino in 1916. Before the war the German labourer had been much better fed and clothed than tho Britisli labourer, aiid it had been necessary for several years of proper feeding and care before the British armies could get their punch. It was a hard thing to say, but it was undeniably true. After the outbreak of war it nod been discovered that industry wai>__not a private affair, but a Government Suiur, and it was conceded now that thoiictnal working man should have the final say in determining how industries wero to bo carried on. ' " An number of questions were askou, and answered by Mr. Murphv. A vote of thanks to tho lecturer con-, eluded tho meeting.