A WARNING.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 May 1920, Page 2

A WARNING.

Mr John Fell, managing director of the Commonwealth Oil Corporation, whose" works are at Newnes, was examined the other day by the Royal Commissioner who is investigating the coal and shale industries. Alter describing the con-, ditions of work ;;(, Newnos, Mr Fell.; said : —"We arc ;'• -iro;,:> ci umaking our workers as conifer: '-■ :e as ourselves, but they are not i!.o ~e who cause the trouble —it in ih.' ; ;<liv'.,'.uai who comes with his roof on h; < h.a.i, so to 6peak. He y;oes out on saUsruny or Sunday, and holds forth new Utopian ideas. He breeds discontent among the young members, and they want to get rich—it does not matter at whose expense. It seems it is only pleasure they want, not work. It seems that the workers are now asking for a controlling interest in industries. If these men who are asking for that interest had capability they would not be workers. Some other method than government legislation is going to be the remedy." Mr Browne (assisting the Commissioner): What will put things right? Mr Fell : A survival of the fittest. Then you regard this as a phase of revolution ?—Yes, the natural law will come into effect, a period of starvation is coining to the world, and that is the only thing that will make the nations realise that they must work in order to live. Then yours is the outlook of desperation ?—No it is not. There is no one more hopeful of the future than I am, but there is a crash coming, and we must not ignore the effect.