CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1928, Page 7

CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS

(B y “X.”)

(Written for the “Guardian.”)

While I have endeavoured to show that “Reform" consists of a mixture ol Conservative and Liberal ingrediciils a mixture which lias not proved suitable to New Zealand’s require-

incuts it is unnecessary at present to •/i, into the* di (iereiiees ns between the Liberalism of linlnnce nml Seddun. mid the “Reform” policy. For ..lie renson West land will he called, on in n few days lo decide not heI ween “Reform” and Idhernlism hill hetwecii Liberalism mid wlnit is Inimvn (erroneously) ns “Labour.’ Though the “Reform” political lithel may he meaningless, ns nothing has I, ecu reformed. or endeavoured to he reformed so far as can he ascertained, the name is not dangerously misleading as in the ease of ‘‘ La bnur.’’ Labour in its true and accepted sense is an economic ami not a-poli-tical term. Labour and capital are well known economic I actors. Mill when for political purposes the terms ‘•la.boiir class’’ and “capitalist class' were evolved with a view to setting up a class disi inet ion mid promoting wlial agitators call “class conscious--11. s." |he very P rnis become an absurdity. pis jicarlv all workers are ca pi in lists and nearly all capitalists are workers. The labour agitator is always weak in economies, or deliberately dis I oris economic phraseology, or he would not confuse capital with wealth, talk - of a capital levy when eoiisi ripi ion of wealth is meant, or of labour when that section of the workers only is meant which can he organised into unions and brought, more or less under trade union control.

Capital, of course, is that portion onlv of wealth which is set aside for produ -ing more wealth. Indirectly th-i|; Mortion of wealth which is expended in providing food, shelter and clothing to enable individual to maintain health, strength and effiejeii'v (necessary factors for wealth prelection or wage earning) may lie regarded as emei-il outlay. The •wealth’ - man who invests portion of IPs wealth i’i ira'V or industry, either dir,.(i ■-• three.di *’ - 'nmiPiil or tiemeia! institutions, all id the poor

man hi" cot i 1 potato pati-li. nerhaes a .-1 1 .* ■-1 of tools, and “a trade at his finger ends.’’ an* cipiallv eai)ii-dists "u.l their interests

, |,e)i h.-i’ e eomdlv to he unite.-ted. Ike kv virtu" their nossessiug more or less capital t'nev eainnot he re-ij-ir.le.l set aside -is a canitalist “(•lass'' with nocess - identical social and pdiljeal views and nspirai imis. T nbour must necessarily, if it tnrair anvihiu". included the workers—mid ,-d workers. Vow the vast majority of the neonh* are workers some wage earners and some not. Amongst the

wage earners what a wide difference exists between the talented and higliIv paid professional workers wlio can earn —and demand because they can earn il -tlieir tlioiisa.nds a year, and the unskilled and semi-skilled workers who receive a few shillings a day vdhieh 'they may or may not he able t : earn, but which lias to be paid from the humaniarian consideration (which Liberals I'omdil for) that a living must ,be •«•«:»! to all workers. Then there is the la rue and most important body of workers who are not warn' earners but nub- receive what they can produce by their toil—the e-dd miners, the farmers. the smaller settlers, and the independent art ion us who work “bn their own uncontrolled by any unions, work as j bey like and receive, what they earn (probably the really most important and characteristically independent class of New Zealanders) Labour covers therefore as wide a field as capital and political views, aspirations and outlook on lile n! the “workcis is necessarily as varied. When therefore we hear the blatant. voice of the agitator claiming: to speak for “Labour” and endeavouring to evoke “class consciousness” and hatred as between the capitalist and the worker, if is well to remember that all for which the demagogue can claim to speak is the small class of labour /which can be, or has been organised into unions. And even this claim cannot be substantiated as beyond enrolling members and collecting foes, the organisers and secretaries know little about the members of the unions. It would he safe to say that thousands of unionists know little of. and care little for the unions in themselves. They are told that, in their own interests, they must join the union, pay their subscriptions and follow' the union rules. Tt is the easiest course to comply, and is supposed to be the correct tliim/ to do. AY bother the New Zealand Labour Unionists pet an adequate return for the £loo.OnO or £• 100.000 oer year which T understand is collected from them, is for them to saw Aly point is that it by no means follows that every unionist will blindlv follow the lead of the “labour” political propagandist. Tint even sunnosing every labour unionist was solidly behind the ‘ labour” leaders in their political views, what does it amount to? A fairly active campaign has been carried out in New Zealand, and whore two or (liroe of a trade are fathered together a< “union” has been formed In the midst of them, from tin* figures of last year before me T find ‘!ob unions have been registered with a membersi,ip (nonmiD of 00.(107. These figures seem at first sight impressive and show the organisers have done something to earn the money collected. Tint when we consider the population of Now Zealand was at the same time 1.3-14.384 it is very evident that it is only vine in 13. probably one in Tl of the people belong to the organisation Wvhich claims to speak with the mighty voice of “Labour.” I am not opposed to labour unionism. I believe that for certain sections of labour, collective bargaining will obtain ifor the worker concessions from the employer which the individual would not he able to ob--1 have. lieen closely in touch with every aspect of the labour movement for nir.nv years past. I can sec' economic dangers and difficulties ahead of unionism which have not vet flieen fully recognised and which the i,resent acute unemployment is bringing to light. All the wisdom and clear thinking which can he brought to boar will he necessary if these dangers an* to be overcome. A spirit of tolerance will also have to lie relied on. and it is therefore the more to he deplored that labour leaders should he permitted to stir up strife and “class Consciousness” by political propaganda.

j Air Holland’s political- programme though cloaked with the Liberalism of the Liberal Party, is roalv a mixture of Radicalism, Socialism. Communism, and other elements which must inevitnibly eau.se mistrust and lead to disaster. Mill whether the policy were good or had it lias no right lo he foisted on the people as “Labour.” II is just coming to he recognised now that the workers’ interests and the employers’ interests are not inevitably antagonistic. 'ilic late Industrial Conference was perhaps the first step toward drawing together forces hitherto regarded as hostile. This good .work may easily he nullified if the malicious attempt to divide the people into classes—capitalist aginst labour--should not prove futile. If the people think clearly for themselves however they cannot he misled and will take the propaganda, falsely labelled “Labour, ’’ at its true value.