LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
LABOUR AND THE COAL CRISIS Sir,—lt ft encouraging to find that the publio are becoming alive to the fact that the exactions of tie coal miner and his apparent determination to ignore the well-being of his fellow-workere iu tlje Dominion are exercising an appreciable effect upon tho iigi cost) of living. If wo can get down to bedrock and understand clearly just what is behind the latest "go-slow" movement reported from tho Went Coast it will help us to a true conoeption of the difficulties into which the country is being forced, through tho inactivity of mon who are in charge of what is aptly described, as "tho key industry" of all others. In the figures Mr. Massey quoted in the House on Friday, of tho net average earnings per shift, made by the men during each fortnightly period between March and August, wo havo a pretty sure indication that the miners were earning good money, and can have nothing to complain of in that the average earnings per man per shift for the six months working out at 265. Id. As they havo decided, that they will only wort seven shifts per fortnight, instead of eleven, which nad come to bo their practice under tho latest agreement, it follows that they are deliberately sacrificing, or penalising, themselves to the extent of iCii Is. per fortnight, or at tho rate of between .£l5O and JCI6O per annum, without benefiting anybody, much less themselves. Talking to a Labour man tho other day, lie gave me the idea that the minors were being told it was the height of folly on theijr part to make big wages under the existing conditions, ] because tho mora they produced the more wealth they would be making for the capitalistic mine-owner. "Don't you see," he said, "wo can never hope to beat the capitalist at his own gamo until wo can make his investments unprofitable. The more, coal tho miner produces, the more money he puts into tie pockets of the mine-owners. We don't want the miners to be contented, and we regard them 'as the advanco guard of the Socialistic revolution that is going to transform society and make life worth living for tho working man." "But," I said to him, "don't you see thai by reducing the output from the mines, you are inflicting injury upon the public, by sending ■ *y the price of coal, and so adding to the cost of living, because all these things react iu that direction?" "What does that matter?" ho retorted. "We want to make the public difecontented, so that it will come to the conclusion that neither tho Massey Government, nor any other Government but a Government of the workers for tho workers, and by the workers, can accomplish any good for tho country." I thought your readers might bo interested in having this little sidelight upon the action of those who have constituted themselves the directors of the Labourite agitations of to'-day—l am, etc., DEMOCRAT.
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Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 1, 27 September 1920, Page 5
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503LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 1, 27 September 1920, Page 5
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