MONDAY, FEB. 13th, 1922. CAPITALISM AND LABOUR.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1922, Page 2

MONDAY, FEB. 13th, 1922. CAPITALISM AND LABOUR.

The Yorkshire branch of the British Industrial League during the latter part of last year organised a week end conference for the discussion of economic problems. The subject set down for discussion was “capitalism,” and the subject was treated from various aspects. It will be interesting to follow the newspaper report of the proceedings, which extended over two days embracing four sessions.

The conference was opened by Mr Ernest J P. Benn, with an analysis of the fundamental principles of Capitalism. Mr Benn briefly traced the growth of the present complicated and delicately balanced machinery of commerce, from. the earliest and most simple processes of exchange. What was known as the Capitalistic System was a normal and inevitable development, and any sudden violation of the deepseated instincts which had produced it would lead to disaster. The steady improvement in the general standard of living was due almost entirely from living was due almost entirely to the energy-, enterprise, and courage of our so-called capitalists, who first saw a new demand and strove to supply it. Much of the objection to our present system ivith its great prizes to those who court fortune arose from the natural human weakness of envy and malice. Success in others was irksome to-those not similarly favoured. A man did not like to be passed on the road by a motor-car. The remedy was not to dig up the road and put a barrier across it, but to get into a swifter car. It was alway’s the lot of the capitalist to be the pioneer of industry, working

against an instinctive averse to change, which seemed to be inherent in human najture. and which, if it had its way would Ire an eternal block upon progress. Profit was a commission on economy, and interest a measure of the market value of saving. The four essentials to successful industry were high wages, high profits, high production and low prices. Amongst other things Mr Benn deprecated loose talk about our Capitalist ‘system being “wrong,” because it took the heart out of those who believed it, and was so much prejudice in the way of recovery. Indeed', the dogic of such a gospel meant Russia over again. Those who preached that things were wrong should show how they might be made right.

The exponent of the labour point of view, Mr Andrew Dalgleish an organiser of the Workers’ Union, took up the challenge in the succeeding session. The remedy, he submitted was co-operation. He did not pretend that this was going to happen in a night. As Capitalism marked a period in the world’s progress so he believed that co-operation would fill in the next period. The results of Capitalism were seen in bad 'housing, unemployment and other social evils. The objection was not to capital as such—it was obvious that industry could not fie run without it—but it was in the wrong hands; the hands of the few instead of the many. Questions were freely asked after each address and the third session was given up to open debate. The two main criticisms of the employers’ representatives were that the opponents of the Capitalistic System hod no constructive alternative to offer and that, they were ignoring the facts of human nature and attacking the laws of life. No one denied that the system was capable of improvement, but that improvement would oome only by the. gradual quickening of the public an d the individual conscience, Mr J. A. Sykes, of the Yorkshire Copper Works, President of the Yorkshire Branch of the Industrial League, spoke on restriction of output “so characteristic in this country, and so absent in America,” and the cost per article. While contracts were being lost daily because of our high production costs, it was useless to blame the employers for unemployment. Pro-fit-sharing was advocated by several speakers, one speaker, giving practical examples of its workings in his firm

The final session was devoted to the clearing up of points by Mr Benn and Mr Dalgleish. Each gave a definition of Capitalism in answer to an inquiry. Mr Benn advanced the word confidence as a synonym—character, reliability. As showing how confidence counts, he related how the Chinese are able at, this time to borrow money at a cheaper rate than the English can, • and solely becauso China has through the ages established a reputation for steadiness and singlenes of purpose. Correspondingly the gigantic onslaught made in this country on Capital has destroyed confidence, and this could be directly traced to the doctrine of collectivism with its train of shifty irresponsibility, replacing the old principle of individualism. For Mr Dalgleish Capitalism was “your capability and mine, and the product of that capability.” He had no defence of restriction of output, but he instanced several examples of restriction of output by employers. He admitted that the weakness of human nature accounted for much of the present unhappiness, but contended that the system of Capitalism accentuated and; perpetuation those weaknesses. This shifting of the moral responsibility of the individual brought strong protest. The interchange of views, however, w’as of the frankest and yet of the friendliest charcter. It is impossible to over-estimate the usefulness of n conference of this kind where employers an'd employed, not only confer together, but live together, mixing in the freest social intercourse, and above all, learning to appreciate the honesty of the other man’s point of view.