The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” THURSDAY, JULY 28th, 1921. INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” THURSDAY, JULY 28th, 1921. INDUSTRIAL PROBLEMS.

-1 In the course of an address on "Indus- ’ trial Problems” at Christchurch by Mr J. A. Erostick, he said a more comprej bensive system of national education must he adopted and in particular di- ; yooted to a knowledge of the physical | ho.lv and how it should he treated ; to i guard against abuses of every form, so that a strong mentality may he attained. Men must he taught how to think and what to think about, more especially the rising generation w,nose lives are being moulded. They should lie taught early in life to avoid all things which may tend to physical decay and mental inefficiency, especially to avoid excess of every kind, and in particular the ex•essive use of alcohol. Competition is a many-sided subject; it is not restricted to those things which come within f':.- purvir oi ee r nomi<», but CXf-l't*

i[.-; iiiß'icilee on the most snerni and private aflairs of men and nations. Probably tii<> most insidious competition has been the desire and determination to obtain wealth, expressed in ‘gold’ or its equivalent, which from time immemorial lias Ijeen responsible for heartless cruelty ami the moral degradation of the oppressor. Competition between nations iti the production of particular classes of goods iiiay result in individual wealth being accumulated by the importer of stfoli products, and vet not one shilling be added to the national wealth of his own country by such importations. although adding great wealth to tlit exporting nations. The consumer does not benefit, by buying goods made in foreign countries in pieforenc* to the production of bis own country and most certainly the general body of workers cannot benefit, <o’.:ie-

quently tile purchase of goods made by countries in competition with our on u benefits the individual importer and :|.e merchant at the expense of their !el low citizens, with no benefit Iff tie nitiuii. Hundreds of our own people ;rc to-day being deprived of their right

work because of the inundation of -oods from other countries, which will drain this country of millions of money .mu in the meantime prevent us from creating national wealth, obtained only Itv production, if there is direct competition in production .between the strong and the weak then Ihe weak must perish; if the contest is between skilled and unskilled then the skilled will rise and the unskilled will fall. It w;ts to preterit these evils that genuine trade unionism came into being, and it must he admitted has proved successful. If there is cut-throat competition in industrial production the opposing producers will sometimes light to the ■point of exhaustion and to the verge of bankruptcy, whilst the merchants will applaud their pluck and pocket the profit which was the rightful reward of the producer. In this (lass of competition the workers can never benefit but sooner or later must become severe osers because of the results which always follow extreme competition. Undue competition causes serious waste of energy, also of time and money; it does not promote thoroughness in method or honesty in construction. Its main policy is to secure increased profits for the individual by less holiest service to the public. The competitor who tries to enrich himself at the expense of his fellows lias an immoral influence upon those who assist him in his plan of sell aggrandisement, it lowers the standard of ethics amongst the workers and compels them to become parties to industrial deception. .The effect is seen everywhere, goods made to sell at a price which deceives the public, and the need for a now economic system was never more apparent. I am convinced that, before we arrive at the proper solution as to the lines nil which trite co-operation in material things should lie conducted, we must study the •ocial sciences, search out the causes lor human misery and social maladjustments, and as we proceed step by step apply the principles to our own life —first put our own houses in order, take the beam out of our own eye before wo attempt to take the mote out of our brother's. Although the world is in great economic danger, men and nations are getting dose together and thousands of every class are honestly trying to ajdust their economic relations. The great difficulty is that the economic adjustments have been too largely influenced by money consideration or political expediency. These things can never establish confidence and goodwill. There must lie a clearer understanding of the social forces at work in human interrelations. or, as one writer expresses it, it requires a scientific sociology. Wlten men grasp this truth m its (idlest and truest meaning, then till things are possible that co-operation is good for humanity will have, been understood, although patience. iMMseveranee and goodwill must he exercised before the many obstacles can he removed which to-dav obstruct social progress.