THE DANGERS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 98, 19 January 1921, Page 9

THE DANGERS OF UNEMPLOYMENT

“GO SLOW” AND STAND STILL ADVICE TO GO STEADY (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.) . If some of the heady Socialist advocates who are forever whining about the hard conditions of the workers in this Dominion had been amongst the unemployed that literally swarmed over this country in JS9S they would surely realise that as compared with that period o depression the workers of to-day, even with the high prices ruling, are in clover compared with those of that eailier period in the Dominions histoij. We have just a few too many floating about now, who, having come here com parativelv a short time ago, know all about it. Because these people do not find Nev.' Zealand their ideal of Heaven, we hear them running down the country whenever they can get, or make, a chance. The native colonial gets tired of hearing these great individuals air their superior wisdom and belittle his own homo land. We recognise that many workers’ families have a hard struggle now. but taking the general mass of workers in this Dominion it is positively a fact that their conditions are very much better than the conditions of the workers were for several years after the great maritime strike of 1890. There are fresh arrivals in the Dominion who manifest sound judgment, and who buckle to and make good settlers and colonists in the Dominion. These we have all respect for. Jhe people who know little of our caily struggles, who grumble on every possible occasion, and who are slow to acquire the true colonial’s ‘aptitude for fighting trouble with a smile of .quiet confidence, are those who are proving a stumbling-block' to the progress of Australia and New Zealand. The worst of such malcontents are those who have drifted into New .Zealand from other lands chock full of half-digested Marxian Socialistic theories and a strong tendency to hate everybody who possesses a little capital. The Sydney "Bulletin, which is Australian to the core, has been .pointing out that it is from these imported specimens of inherent discontent that most of Australia's industrial madness emanates. We have witnessed the same manifestations here, and agree that the element which is never tired of imposing their Old World grievances, discontents, hatreds, and stupidities.upon the people of Australasia are a veritable curse. The Genesis of Unemployment. In a spirit of colonial mateship we express our sympathy with the genuine Australians who arc being run into the sore distress of widespread dislocation of industry, unemployment, and consequent mass suffering by the mad stampedes of a. lot of irresponsible extremists. We read of 60,000 unemployed in Melbourne or Sydney, of the hold-up in Western Australia, and ask —Where away next? There is no doubt but what our sister Commonwealth is undergoing a strain. It looks as if demand followed demand, wild semi-Bolshevist calls one after another, until those in charge, of important industries were forced to lay up ships, works, and plant, with the result of thousands going idle. It is a known fact that periods of depression and stoppage of industry arise very often from the breaking down of business confidence. There is a disposition shown bv Labour extremists to pile demand on demand, as if industry could givo out forever without break xig down. It is either that, or they think the employers will step out, and they can fake over the works under some Soviet system not vet evolved. Thought should be given to the fact that business confidence may be broken and unemployment arise like one of our southerly busters before any change is made in ownership, management, or working conditions. We have to remember iust now that monev for many purposes is not so easily procured as it was some time ago. There is need, and very great need, for .practice of going steady all round, so as to avoid any breaks in industry which may cause stagnation, and result in stoppages and widespread unemployment. -• A Plain Warning. We arc not pessimistic. Given a fair chance, this Dominion can ride through stormy waters. The existing conditions, however, stand as a plain warning particularly to Labour men who have a sincere regard for the workers in the mass. None of us want to see the unemployment here that is in evidence in Australia. To avoid this there must be a return to greater sanity. "Go slow," which some Labour men have played with, may result in the dead stop, and that will entail out of work, suffering, land want, and, as always, special suffering by the women and children. Any trades union officer who can think lightly of a period of unemployment with all it entails should be kicked out of office by his fellows. The question .we are seeking to have well considered is whether it is not better for the workers to make moderate steady progress than to rush into excessive claims of all kinds, which may simply result in complete stoppage of some of the industries they rely upon. The Socialist advocate is everywhere teaching the workers that the less work they do the more there will be to go round. This is false teaching, because if the cost is made excessive the jobs will just be stopped, and then there is none to go round. Our colonial workers can work well and happily when left alone. The time calls for regular steady going and avoidance of the wild-cat industrialism which would result in widespread unemployment and the sending forth of decent tradesmen to travel the roads with their "bluey up.” There is a danger of this, and we think it right to warn the rank and file of its possible nearness. We do not want to see if in New Zealand, and therefore we present something to think of. It is easy to flatter and hard often to present the plain truth, but the latter is the most friendly, after all.