FOR THE NATIONAL WELFARE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2445, 24 June 1922, Page 4

FOR THE NATIONAL WELFARE.

COMMUNITY OF INTERESTS

COLLECTIVE VERSUS CLASS

IDEALS.

During the wax period the Nation and Empire to-which we belong were rightly regarded as the first consideration. It is true that some shirked, and a certain number saw nothing more in the great world traged.f than an opportunity for personal advancement; yet taking the great body of our people they were heart and soul for the Nation and the Empire. The immediate danger having passed we find sectionalism again holding sway. It is not yet fully realised that the battle for peace and reconstruction calls for the same ideal of unity of purpose and the spirit of courage and fortitude that helped us through the long dark night of warfare. Not by fighting against each other, but by working together is the National welfare to be permanently secured. In a recent address by Sir Arthur Shirley Benn, Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce Annual Conference, this is so well exprassed that we quote the article from the “London Times Trade Supplement”: — COMMUNITY OF SACRIFICE.

“During the war community of sacrifice saved the situation and enabled the country to achieve victory over its enemies and the acute economic difficulties resulting from a state of war. If we are to overcome present troubles, community of sacrifice must again become its inspiration. In the commercial struggle with which we are faced employers and employees are as truly essential to each other and to the nation as were officers and men on the field of battle There are real difficulties which we should be the last to minimise, and our present troubles are not solely due to any one factor, but we share Sir Arthur Shirley Beiin’s view that they are not insuperable if only all section's could come together in a united effort for the general welfare recognising that in this moment employers and employees are joint trustees of the nation’s industrial interests. Upon their mutual efforts not less than on the adoption of a sound policy by the Government all hopes for the future of the race are centred.”

COLLECTIVE OB CLASS IDEALS

That the National welfare cannot be conserved' without recognition of the fact that we have many interests in common is a simple truism. It is when the point of sacrifice is touched that we find our people hiving off into classes and sections each trying to escape from the burden that has to be borne. There are tV’o ideals which may govern our people. The first is that of class interest, each fighting for their own class, strengthening their class organisation and using every means to secure advatages for themselves alone.

This class conception of society has been exalted by certain extremists to the standard of a philosophy which postulates that society consists of two sets of combatants, whom they name Capitalist class and Working class. Between these two, they hold, there must be continuous War because, as they, affirm, these have nothing in common. Unfortunately there are wealthy people who by their exclusiveness, concern for special inerests and disregard of the general welfare lend colour to the idea that this doctrine of class warfare is a true analysis of society. We are thankful, however, that there are many that hold to the higher ideal of community of interests, who recognise the interdependence of all classes and who seek unity within the Nation and of disruption.

The class domination idea we oppose because it is a bar to sound progress. It is a see-saw movement with reaction at one end of the plank and revolution at the other. To make real progress, either in peace or war, thee miist be a collective movement of whole Nation in one direction. No\£ when economic reconstruction is called for the movement should be on lines which will co-ordinate all sections of our people towards common aims. Capital cannot move without Labour, nor Labour without Capital therefore the demand is for mutual understaffdings, mutual concession and mutual aid in the. interests of' the Nation upon which all alike depend. If “a house divided against itself cannot stand” no more can a Nation. The watchword of our people should be—“one class, the Citizens as a Avhole and one Union, our little Dominion”—long live New Zealad!

(Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League. )\