STRIVING AND THRIVING.

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 1, 15 September 1910, Page 4

STRIVING AND THRIVING.

Nothing is more amusing than an Employers' Association in one of its periodical fits of public morality. Recently one of these bodies drank some tea snd talked about "industrial peace," and " organisation," and "prosperity/ , and the "interests of capital and labour being identical " ; cracked up " genuine Avorkers," and cried down " vociferous agitators " ; and warned the trustful public of the dangers of " revolutionary Socialism." Employers use these terms in the same way as sentimental song-writers talk about "moons" and " hearts," and " rushing rivers" and " sad sea waves." It seems a pity, though, that this verbal stock-in-trade is not parcelled out with a little more regard foi consistency. Speaker No. 1 at a recent annual meeting deplored the fact that there is "no prospect whatsoever of any finality either in the adjustment of labour conditions or in labour legislation," and longed ardently for a "period of perfect rest" Tt is unfortunate that the whole of Nature is against this gentleman. Nowhere in the world, material or immaterial, is there such a condition as " finality " or " perfect rest," nor ever will be. Space is infinite, matter eternal, energy immortal, and there are only two "conditions" thinkable: progress and retrogression. Any hymn-book would have told this to the Employers' Association (" change and decay in all around I see")) apart altogether from the teachings of modern science. To proceed: Speaker No. 2 wanted " peace," which, he said, would mean " life and vigour." As a fact, of course, such "peace" as he wanted •could bring now, as it has ever brought, nothing but death and stagnation. As Ruskin pointed out many years ago, the common notion that peace and the virtues of civil or industrial life nourish together is wholly untenable ; peace and the VICES of civil or industrial life flourish together. The muse of history does not couple together peace and learning, peace and plenty, but peace and selfishness, peace and death. In other words, if we would thrive we must strive. Speaker No. 3 seemed to have some dim. notion of this, for he wanted, not peace, but "no stagnation in progress " Just how stagnation, i.e., standing still, could ever enter into progress, i.e., moving on, he did not stay to explain ; but rushed on to tell us 'that life was a struggle and must always be so. Speaker No. 4 made a vigorous appeal for " struggle and competition/ by which means, he said, "the good things of this world were to be gained." To summarise:— Speaker No 1 wants : " Perfect rest.'"' Speaker No 2 wants: "Peace." Speaker No. 3 wants: "No standing still in moving on." Speaker No. 4 wants: "Struggle and competition.' In the multitude of counsellors there I S ?