WELFARE LEAGUE'S MEMORANDUM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 147, 17 March 1920, Page 8

WELFARE LEAGUE'S MEMORANDUM

A WORD OF EXPLANATION

(Contributed by the New Zealand Welfare League.) The League's Committee bavin" read the report of discussion which tooic place at the meeting: of the Wellington Provincial Industrial Association, notes with regret that the speaker* at tho meeting were under a misapprehension. As other bodies or persons may .ilso havo gathered wrong impressions from tho memorandum sent out bv the League, we desire to make the following short exnlanntion.

The' League has not invited any body to join with it. in calling a conference or to send delegates to a conference. It ha« certainly in no way souodit to trench upon the function of any other organisation, but has merely put forward a general siiTSPstinn for the holding of a National Industrial Conference an idea in the minds of many people, and actually nut as a oroposal some time ago bv the United Federation nf Labour. There had, as far as we know, been, no stens taken to focus the views of tbo=e throughnut the Dominion who-were in favour of such a conference. The Learue has merely sought to assist in making the position "learer thnn it was.

From the communications we havp had so far thpre is no doubt Hint ,1 considerable bodv of public opinion throughout Hip Dominion i= in favour of Hi" proposal. Tnsf»ad of seeking to put itself forward in Hip ninttpr. the leaguo suggested to Hip various industrial organisations—of pmplnvprs and employees—thnj; thev should pass resolutions calling upon the Government to call such a national conference. May we noint out that thp constitution, nipmlvrship, and <rpnprnl work of Hip Welfare League lias nothing to do with Hi" matter at all. If the industrial bodies request the Government to call the conf-ronce, and the Goverrmient does so. the Tpngne has apnmplishpd all if desired. The bodies whoso representative* the Government may invite' will 'he in chanre. so 'hat no industrial organisation can have any ground for com nl a int. Tpt lis say '•his in ponelucinn. that. th» nmposal of our League is a very definite one, and is contained in the "no pnpsfion: ■oimiild fnr Government call a Nntionn' Tndustrial Conference representative of employer? wrrlcprs. and consumers? Instead nf ouv side issues, w cubroit that the industrial hodips both of workers p,T>d ■mniloxors should mak" nn thpir minds drlriitniv and be rendv to snv "V»s" or "Up" to Ihe niipstion. T,eavp flip Wptfnr" Lcairup out. but purely, seeing thp matter is Tai=<vl. the 0"v----prnmpnt should bp infr.rmpd as to wh;tlmf ouch a confnrwp is wanted or not. All riHtpna know full we I that 7iev»r in the historv ->f tl.is poimtry w"i'e there worn difficult industrial nrnhlr-nis to spvHp than ther" are now. Tt i= bconrl our pomprehension bow inme of thpso problems nrp tn lip e'en n'.ijvnximntply solved, unless th" i pspon-iW" mpn, both on thp side of Labour and Capital, come tnn-pHier and confer nnou thp suliwK T* is utterly useless to talk in C"nerfil term* about H'e neod for nrreater liannonv between (Vtnifal and Labour; the test of the matter is what an> yon prepared to do in fho way of •."•riviti" «t a p«m!""". understanding? The recent Coal Conferpnep showpd that pvnn Hi" p'p=t difficult onostions en" bo settled if th" men are in cnrn°sf. The T.eairup nrcps flip wisdnni of ennfevrimr on the present Piost difficult industrial situation; and wants no etarwlin", credit or b»n"fit. in any wav tn.ifsplf. Tf will ilip onif" cnnt»nf to tpfirp "nt of sight if only the right course is taken.