RIGHT SPIRIT FOR THE NEW YEAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2532, 20 January 1923, Page 4

RIGHT SPIRIT FOR THE NEW YEAR.

MUTUAL AID AND PROGRESS. In entering upon another year of life we will do well as a people in reviewing our ideals.and plans to remember that with all the differences of politics social status religious beliefs and personal interests we are all human. It is from the base of our common humanty that all of our several activities arise. What does this year 1923 promise in the important fields of industry and politics is a question to which we wait on destiny for a reply. May we hope that our politicians, of all parties, will consider the needs of the country first and exercise such restraint upon their paty zeal as will enable reasonable understanding to be arrived at for the carrying on of (he Dominion’s business. Politics for the nation and not the nation for the politicians is what the people are looking ,for. The announcement by the Prime Minister of an improvement in the Dominion’s finance for the nine months just passed is reason for congratulation. At the same time there has not been any such increase in the Revenue side as to warrant any excessive optimism. Ay all means let us face the year ntered upon with confidence, but at he same time such confidence houkl be tempered with prudence, is the country is not yet by any aeaiis free from all its financial and other troubles. The right spirit for >ur tasks may arise from the coniseiousness that we are citizens of no mean country. Maoriland, our home, is a great little country whether regarded from the standpoint of its natural beauties and many advantages of productiveness or in the virility of its people and the freedom of our institutions. It is in the temper of mutual helpfulness between us as individuals and in the relations of groups or classes that our best hope of sound progress exists.

At present, there looms in our industrial* sky one or two rather gloomy and menacing' clouds. The teamen’s dispute which was at first with the Arbitration Court and is now with thfi Shipping Companies, drags slowly on as if there could be no end to it. Then the Waterside Unions have balloted on the question of whether they will accept their Award or not, and the Alliaiice of Labour is taking what seems to be a general strike ballot. These are rather ominous signs and yet we hope that reason will prevail and the means of peaceful settlement be found. Strikes and general dislocation would mean renewed depression for the country from which the wage-earners would suffer most of all. Twelve months of steadiness in trade and industry will stabilise conditions and adjust the standards of living to the establishment of sounder social health and real national progress. If employers and employed will mutually cinsider each oilier the true line of progress can soon be reached. In this connection we note that Mr C. 11. Hewlett, in addressing the Canterbury Employers’ Association recently, struck the note of the employers moral duty of helping the workers. lie points out that while the primary object with which most people establish a business is that the organisation shall return a reasonable rate of profit there is a moral obligation on a man with power to use that power to do the best lie can for those who assist in making that reasonable return on the capital invested. Money, power, prominent positions, control of the industries and men, he contends entail the obligations of fully considering:— (1) Those we represent.

(2) Those who assist ns. (3) The country generally. As a means of helping the workers Mr Hewlett advocates superannuation fund's; sick benefit funds and workers’ homes. These, ut course, are only a few of the directions in which the employers can help the workers. The Industrial Welfare movement in England has found numerous ways in which the Industrial Assistants can he helped, and enabled to help themselves, both to the advantage of the employers, the industries and the country. Provisions for safety; for health; for rational recreation; for education; for temperance; for better working places and better homes are all lines upon which attention is being given. This new spirit in ndustry is that which we hope to see stimulated in our country. To make it a success the. worker must help the employer and the employer his assistants. Not by any system of mere patronage or the imposition of rules but little appreciated but by mutual understanding and helpful-ness-'in industrial welfare work likely to prove of greatest benefit. ‘This is the disposition of mind and practice which might replace the strike fever and the more mechanical methods of legal orders and Arbitration decisions. Whilst competition has been, named the soul of trade it has to he remembered that co-opei’ation is the spirit of organisation and to organisation and goodwill we must look for the steady prgress of our country. (Contrlmted by the N.Z. Welfare \ League.)