BEHIND THE TIMES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 65, 10 December 1919, Page 8

BEHIND THE TIMES

LABOUR EXTREMISTS CONDEMNED

NATIONALISATION SCHEMES

Sneakinc at Parawanui, Mr. 13. Newman, M-P-. who is contesting the Manawatu seat, said that utter careful observation he had no hesitation in stating that in his opinion the Labour Party would never make good in New Zealand until fclicv jettisoned (heir present representatives in Parliament. In his opinion tho leadership of Messrs. Holland, I'laser. and Seiuple was too big a handicap for any party to carry. He wanted to make clciar that he would welcome the election of a considerable number of Labour members provided they represented sane Labour, ami had for their objective the betterment of tile conditions of the workers of t'no country by constitutional methods, ami were loyal to the British (lair. Further, lie desired to say that ho considered that ll'r. Downie Stewart was risht when he said the Labour Party in Now Zealand were ten years behind leaders of radical and progressive thought elsewhere, especially regarding nationalisation.

Mr. Newman questioned very much if the nationalisation of industries would benefit tiio workers in the long run. In the case of a dispute they would be up against the Government instead of a small boar of employers, uud would not bo successful in disputes unless public opinion was in their favour. From the State's noint of view it is questionable if there is much to gain either. As Mr. Liovd George said, no one has yet convinced him that a man will work better for the State than for a private emplover. Nationalisation really means that the workers would ho under officials; instead of under private employers, and this would be 110 gain to anyone. A private emplover is generally willing to reward industry ami ability, a State official is not likelv to be so willing. Of course, the extreme party say pay all the revenue of ihe industry to Labour, but honest, men will not support this. If the Sfnlo nationalises an industry it must buy out the owners, and interest on the mirchase money nmst be provided, and the State must, make enough profit to maintain and develop tlio industry and nrovide for bad debts and scrapping plant, as private firms do. True, some of the present owners' services might be disnenseo' with by amalgamation, but against that, private enterprise attracts Hto best brains, more than Government employ does, so the output might cost more to keep up, after all. He believed that the employees should have a voice in fh« management of large industries, fie had urged this in the House and 011 the platform, and believed it' was the wav out of industrial unrest. As Mr. Downie Stewart, says in the article to which the speaker had already referred: "A far more hopeful line of advance is that which is being tried in England just now. when the workers are being given a greater share in the control of industry. Only the other day Mr. Lloyd Geortre save the workers a share in the control of the whole of the railways of England; but if this is the true solution it is equally applicable'to private industry, without going to the enormous exliense of nationalisation, and the creation of a huge body of State officials." Mr Newman was prepared to support_ the Government in any movement in this direction.