THE “GO-SLOW” POLICY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1693, 31 March 1917, Page 3

THE “GO-SLOW” POLICY.

COAL OUTPUT AFFECTED. MINISTERIAL OPINION. Interesting observations on the subject of coal supply, which is engaging a great deal of serious at-

tention in (ho Dominion ;il: the presoul time, were made at Auckland by the Hon. Arthur M. Myers, who, as Minister for Munitions, has under Ids charge the administration of the Coal Distribution Department. “It is quite apparent,” said the .Minister, “that the output of coal at present is not equal to the quantity that was produced for the corresponding period last year, and insufficient for (he requirements of the community. I regret to remark that there is apparently a go-slow policy being carried oul in some of Ihe mines, and this aspect of the question is now receiving the attention of the responsible authorities. One of the resells of (he war has been the recognition by all classes of the community of the vital part (hat Labour has played in (he maintenance of the economic structure of the Slate; and the heroic share of the great world burden which he is carrying l at the present time has justly earned for the worker the right to come into his own in the widest sense of the term.

“1 venture (o say that the ignoble and short-sighted go-slow policy can only find favour with those who have allowed prejudice to interfere with (he duty that obviously devolves upon every worker at the present time of looking into the problem and bringing all his commonsense and reason to bear upon his own individual solution of the situation. The individual worker rightly has aims in (he direction no! only of maintaining, but of improving', the standard of living of the working Hasses, and lie wishes (o see wages kept at the highest possible level. It is not too much to say that, generally speaking, employers of labour in this country are at one with him in these desires. The differences between them arise in regard to the actual means by which these very desirable ends can best be attained. It is conceded (here is one source, and one source only, from which wages, high or low, can be paitl. and that is out of the daily product of industry. High wages cannot possibly be paid out of a diminishing output.

“The go-slow policy spells ruin nationally by spreading slowly through the whole ranks of labour. It lowers efficiency at every point, ft also reacts on the individual himself, sowing (he seeds of discontent in many a place which otherwise would be filled with the f ruits of a steady will to work one’s best and to fnllill one’s duty as a citizen of the foremost democracy the world has ever seen. Xo work is of more importance at the present time than the educative one of bringing all sections of the community to realise that to make up the wastage of war there must be greater efficiency and more strenuous effort. Increased production will benefit the employee equally with the employer, and, incidentally, the nation. r lhe foundation alike of industrial prosperity and national well-being can only be a good day’s work for a good day’s pay, and consequently our watchword should be “Lconomy, efficiency and increased production,’ to enable us to lay deep the foundations to cope with the social, financial and economical problems that will have to be faced after the war.”