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Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1926, Page 2

It is generally recognised as a contemporary remark that- Labour leaders aro in the habit of speaking of capitalism as the enemy of labour, and are profuse in phrases which describe the worker as a slave, and unde the whip of the capitalist. To say. as is sometimes said, that under capitalism, the rich are richer, but the poor are poorer, is a strange perversion of tho facts. We do not, of course, suggest that the worker should be satisfied with what he has gained. He is entitled to do tho best he can for himself. But it is well to recognise what he has gained, and that he could not have gained but for the fact that capitalism brought about a really marvellous advance in the world’s wealth, and that the capitalist has not kept, or attempted to keep, the whole of this increase of wealth and prosperity for himself.— The use of capital should be encouraged—and that should be the concerted aim of labour. In this country

there is not the highly rich class such as in America. Yet in the United •States where there are so many millionaires, labour is said to be higher paid and better treated than elsewhere. This might lead to the suggestion that with the plethora of wealth more work, or more advances for work are created, which of course is all for tho betterment of labour. Wealth used is tho creator of employment, and where a return is given for the money, capital is encouraged, and so the expenditure grows. But we know, too, that in America the working man makes a generous response for his wages. Production is great in that country because of the efficiency and tho application of the worker, and capital expends itself in encouraging that condition of affairs. While there is not tho highly rich class in this country, capital invested in various directions provides avenues for labour. There is very little hoarding of wealth here—or anywhere for the matter of that. The so called capitalist sets about using his means as host lie may. If not industrially, then by following finance. Even if lie has his money in a bank on deposit to earn him a competency, it does not follow that the actual money is idle. The hank for its part loans the money hv overdraft to some business man or industrialist to carry on on a largro scale than otherwise possible, and so helps to add to the. sum ol' employment generally. 'Wealth is thus continually moving in circulation in one form or another, or playing its part in the national development, It is stupid therefore to fall out with the capitalist as such, and to so arrange to fight that ill lighting production or tlio exorcise of the capital, is foolishly held up by strikes or other means lo check industry for tin? time being. Tho loss is definite and means more to tho worker than tile employer in the end, for the loss is gone and flic time cannot lie recovered. There should lie amity and good will between employer and employee, and any and all diltereiices should be settled in a legitimate manner and not by fruitless excesses.