Justice for All, Workers Included.

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 1, 15 September 1910, Page 12

Justice for All, Workers Included.

(By JOSEPH GREY, Rotherham.) All men have a natural claim on society, and the right to equality of opportunity and treatment. To work is an indispensable duty in the social man, rich or poor, powerful or weak. Every idle citizen is a knave. Labour for glory, if not forced by necessity, and thus conquer the prejudice against honest toil. Monopoly should be crushed, because in all its forms it taxes the industrious for the support of indolence and plunder, i.e., the subjection of labour to capital. Between employer and employee there is a bond—the exchange of commodities. The employer needs my labour, and I <rive it for what the buyer seems a fair price. But let us look deeper and see if there is justice in the agreement. I must be able on the morrow to work with the same normal amount of force, health and freshness as to-day. We are told to save, and study abstinence. Then, as a wise man, I will husband my whole wealth, labour power, and abstain from all foolish waste of it. What capital gains by my labour the toiler loses in substance. The use of labour power and the spoliation of it are quite different things. In paying for one day's labour power yon may use that of three days, which is unjust and not a fair exchange. Labour now demands a working day of normal length, and demands it without any appeal to hearts, because in money matters sentiment is out of place. Doubtless many employers are charitable, but the workers seek not charity, but justice.: and as honest toil never degrades it is worth paying for, so that the toiler can feed, clothe and educate his children to become mentally, morally and physically fit for life's battles, and so conquer them. Thus, when justice is done there will ensue wliat all Avish for : Industrial Peace.

Capital Leaving the Country. " Your argument, I understand," said the Wizard, in Robert Blatehford's " Sorcery Shop," to the two capitalists with whom he was discussing this question, "is that the first steps towards establishing a Socialist State in England would so alarm the rich that they would take their capital out of the country?" " That is so," said Mr Jorkle. "Well," said the General, "I'm jolly well sure Jorkle would take his capital, and I'm quite as sure of myself, by George." " I am surprised," said the Wizard, " to find two such men labouring under the delusion that it would be possible for them to take their capital out of the country. Do you really believe, gentlemen, that you or the other capitalists could do what you suggest?" " Certainly," said Mr Jorkle. "Hah! Confound it, yes!" said the General. The Wizard took a pinch of snuff. Then he said: "Mr Jorkle, would you mind telling how your capital is made up—of what it consists?" Well, various investments," said Mr Jorkle; "railways, cotton mills, house property, and shares in the South African mines. Chiefly those four things." "And yours, General?" " Mostly land. I've something in coal-mines, and something in jute." " Very good," said the Wizard ; " suppose you and all the other capitalists in England decided to take your capital out of the country. jir Jorkle has to carry away part of the permanent way and rolling stock of a railway ; he has to carry away several cotton mills and their machinery and some streets of houses. You, General, have to remove your landed estates, part of a coal-mine, and a jute factory." " Confounded nonsense !" cried the General. "We should simply withdraw our capital," said Mr Jorkle. " What you are thinking of," said the Wizard, " is the idea of selling your shares, and with the money setting up new businesses in some foreign country. But you would be anxious to sell because you believed that the businesses would be no longer profitable, or no longer safe. That being the case, who would be willing to buy ? And supposing you could, and did, sell these concerns, then the men who bought them -would replace your capital with their own. and so the capital would still be in the country, after all. You would have gone out of the country, but the capital would remain."