ARBITRATION COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 19666, 20 September 1927, Page 3

ARBITRATION COURT.

TO THE EDITOE. Sir, —With your permission I shall again make an effort to try and answer “Henry,” who evidently conveys the controversy far away from what was intended by “T.AI.” in the original letter. “Henry” declares that when I refer him to “T.Al.’s” first letter upon the vicious circle I am evading the question. This is not true. “T.AI.” outlines the vicious circle, shows what effect it has upon the employer and the employee, also tho futility of the Arbitration Court ns a remedy, and if “ Henry ” lias worked and travelled in many lands, read and listened and knows not the vicious circle, there moss assuredly is something wrong, which will need a mightier pen than mine to eradicate. 1 am charged with stating that tho Arbitration Court gave birth to the vicious circle. 1 never did anything of the kind. “.T.AI.” is responsible for that declaration, and tho question which T did ask was this: If the Arbitration Court gave birth to the vicious circle, how came it to be operating in every industrial country of the world where tho Arbitration Court did not prevail? • 1 feel, rather diffident about making another attempt to remove the mist which seems to hang so heavy around the question of social service versus capitalism. I am told there is a deep admiration for my ambition. It is much safer to know the composition of my ambition before admiring it. Therefore wo will examine the situation as it appears in the letter. I am asked the

question, it! t believe in social evolution, could there have been any other than a capitalistic system ? No, certainly not, nor yet will bo for years upon years. It is almost impossible for the mind of humanity to conceive the slow but sure unfolding of Nature’s handiwork; only by taking a retrospective view of the wilderness from whence wo came, can wo measure the march of progress. There is no disputing the fact of the wonderful achievements accomplished under what is known as the capitalistic system. It smashed the power 4 of barons, it took the peasants from the land, placed them together in mines and factories, taught them how to socially produce, to socially consume, and, greatest of all, to socially think. The competition of the employing class to acquire wealth each for himself made a strenuous fight; new ideas, new inventions, make the light interesting; wealth is increased a hundredfold, with such an abundance of surplus countries became too small; enterprise must encompass the world, and in ships built and owned by tho capitalist some of ns are transferred to the uttermost parts of the earth —a wonderful accomplishment. At what price? During all those years human life stood at less value than the machines which they manufactured. Every reasonable man and woman to-day is ashamed to think of tho agony which was imposed upon these human beings, it was so unneces-

sary. Now what is our ambition today? To remove these evils, to try and improve the present state of affairs. It matters not who the people are or under what name they go, so long as they remove the wrong. Is there any person in tin’s country to-day who should be comnelled to go short of tho essentials of life? This need not ho, and yet it is so. Is there a greater crime than to sec men and women tramping all over the country begging for work, and if yon should chance to ho a single man, you forfeit all right to obtain work. To whom shall we attribute the cause? To every person who believes in the capitalistic system. Fear of encroaching upon your generosity compels me to refrain from showing in what, in my humble opinion, is the great colossal wrong. I do not abhor combined committees. But I do know tin's, that when a working man is delegated to meet a manager in ’conference and tho manager feels truly convinced that he is right, and the workers are convinced that they arc right, yon arc in tor a lovely time. It is at this point that the Arbitration Court is powerful. Perhaps some day it may dawn upon the mind of “Henry” that some other system may ho superior to the present system. If not let him spend his energy trying to eradicate the defects of those who think otherwise. —1 am, etc..

R. H.UUUSOX

September 19