The Guardian (And Evening star, with which is incorporated the West Coast times.) MONDAY, JUNE 9th, 1921. PRODUCING WEALTH.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 June 1924, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening star, with which is incorporated the West Coast times.) MONDAY, JUNE 9th, 1921. PRODUCING WEALTH.

A Colt respondent iii Friday’s issue had something to say on the subject- of work and wages. The subject is too. large of course to Is’ discussed in a few words, for it is tunny-sided, and there must necessarily he a wide definition of "worker'' as the "sole producer" of wealth. Our correspondent would make it appear that the manual laborer alone was the producer of wealth. But tho manual laborer is but a section of the groat organisation necessary tf) create wealth-. The manual

laborer lor instance must u-e tools, and the invention of these and their manulaetuie (arm- is fat past. 1 1n• domain o| tile labor,.-! . Si ioiH' mis put mm li in the "ay of tin- worker in the production of v.ealtb. and without die 1 atietil aid pi the scientist, "oil. itself would be more difficult ami exact-

ing than it i'. So "<• see that the laborer as such cannot, be regarded

the ‘‘sole" producer of wealth

the creation of wealth then* a’e many economic considerations to be taken

into account. These are o; crating in some <*. ses as natural laws in which neither scientist nor laborer may play any part. Il is not by artificial means that wealth can be created. 'I he | riniary law i- that of supply and demand. and dial acts and tends inexoi:ilily at every Hull. As to the general it- alien of wealth the London "limes has well .-.aid that: ‘Neither politicians. trade union lenders, nor philan-

thropists can ever discover any means of creating wealth by Act ol Parliament; only In iialusliy. carried out with n.-siduiiy ami ciilcienc ■ <:im Ihe

nation coiititiiie to maintatu in | rosjerily on dm solnev.hiii unstable l.a-i----oil "liicli il l i sts. These c msidciat ions are perlei lli i b-.ir to all v.lio look beyond die immediate | ie.-enl anil take into iii.count "ider factors limn tlms'’ which alfect iudividuid ilitelcsts. By sonic means tin* iniln 11 must secure the harnionioiis co-ope-'iition d the winkers or peri.-h. and thuo v.lio lona lit si rile hv the ptoiiiu'gatioil of e •inomic fitllacies arc in exactly the same | usitiou as malcontents v.lm persm •!•■ the hit mils mi a sinking ship to leave the lumps." In point ol fad. the location of wealth is the nmiied 10-npera-tion nf capital ami ability to work. Organised industry is e.xiablixhod by brains with die money behind it to early on economic, development whereby piodlli lieu tan be pul. upon Ike market at price,! Vi oomnmml ttade. litetebv is labor 1 .eateil, at.tl i.b.c belief tin- organi-atton b»r tin* matkets r.i lice world, IPc grcaic: dm lolomc d occupation ollctiitg. As to Ibe cost of living, tin* euiiiiiitoii.s ol llte war period created abttormiil times, anil tlm dog began to ebase its tail when "ages well* titiiile to (it extraordinary conditions. A start "as made on a vicious circle, tin- cl.il ot winch is not yet, because tin* higher wages provides more surplus money, and the tones being

1 1 1111 v it . an amount of eionomic waste i-> going on which tends to keep np rather than deeroa.se the cost of living. Act. of Parliament ai tificially hooiilel prices, as they later provided facilities to increase wages. The test of the result is very simple, and it is to he found in the conclusive fla t that work is coiling more, and very often pioductioil is less than pre-war days, lo no case is there a propoi tionate increase in production equal to the growth in wages, so that obviously there must lie a drift, and the result is to react on what is called the cost of living—it increases as a iiatum! eon,sequence. Ihe country is tia'.clliiig tile vicious circle and the fine for tile journey is very costly, and under the present eondilions tlieie is not any hope of any material reduction;