The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1920. THE WAY OUT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 540, 15 June 1920, Page 2

The Times. Published on Tuesday and Friday Afternoons. Motto: Public service. TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 1920. THE WAY OUT.

The published report of the sabcommittee of the New Zealand !>mployers' Federation of Labour (>n suggested means of inducing harmonious relations between Capftal and Lnb- . our is a document of more than or-- ' dinary interest in this Dominion. We say "this Dominion'.' advisod'v, because the proposed remedies are the veriest commonplaces in the United Kingdom and in the United States of i America, where the various schemes • mooted have been in more or less J practice for many years. Unfortunately, while New Zealand employers may be quite as capable of rend acting their several businesses, ii the narrow sense, as are the men of other lands, the most of them, seemingly, lack either the brains or the education—in the broad r.ense of pos- ' sessing a knowledge of economics end sociology—to grasp the wide: and deeper aspects of industrial life. One can verify the truth of this purposeful castigation byvtalking to the rverage employer, for-while he can talk volubly about the details of his .business, if one touches ..on the ecojj riiSnic factors which underlie induM trial **mrest one finds that he has never read a work on igstory, economics, or sociology tW?lps life, and is dependent on whatever opinions his regular newspaper dishes up ntftj<itually for his mental pabulum, .But get into conversation with almost j any recognised Labour leader, and one will find tfeftt. nc is hilly ;onver sant with problem of economics (tad. social life, and also has a better grasp of the employers' position than the employers have. Unfortunately, the rank and tile of Labour, seething with discontent, and adopting the attitude " Get all you can,'', are prone to b.e led astray by professional dgii.aro»rs, and to dem md > unreasonable rewards. As the report states, there is need for the edi'ca- ■ tion of the workers in respect to tilt " running of industrial concerns, but 1 we unhesitatingly aver tiiat tiie employers are as much in need of education as are the employees. However, trite is are the recommendations >.J the sub-committee, utterly lacking in origin;'lily though they be, they aie, nevertheless, solidly based on « foundation of truth, and if put into operation would quickly be productive of beneficial results. The Employees' Federation may be congratulated on having at last come into line .vith modern thought, though its recorrn.endations are somewhat negatived bj its refusal to agree tc a Dominion conference between Capital and Labour. The employers, fear that or ganisad Labour's opposition to any system of protitsh irir.g could not be cverco;ne£but in this the Employers' Federation brands itself as being of little faith. Employees, once they aie shown that by mutual co-opera-tion and goodwill, backed materially by being given a share in the profits, can be better off than under the present vicious system of continued wrangling, increases in wages and corresponding or greater increases in the cost of living, will fall in lini and give short shrift to the proles sional agitator, whose personal interests are best served by fomenting industrial strife. Sel-interest is the mainspring of human action; there is no difference between employer and employee on t'.:is ground.

end since co-operation, or a system of profit-sharing resulting in increas ed production and an honest day's work would benelil employees and (.niployeis to a substantial extent there would be little risk of failure The refusal to meet in conference gives ilic impression thai ihe em oloyers have been driven to their present course by dire necessity, whereas men who are supposed to possess organising and directive ability should spontaneously take the lead in these mutters.

Sumo time ago 11 >is paper published Iwo loading articles having a direct bearing on the subject now umlci ' discussion: one wis entitled "The Cuspol iif Work,"' pleading for eon scientmus service on tin: part of em ployees, and the other was headed '• IVolit Sl.ai ing," uhocvi the ad (iplion of the very thii.ijs the Kn;I loyers' Federation now proposes. I; hoth parties vvoik on tnese lines, and honestly try to give each other fail play, i brighter day will speed i I,i dawn on this Dominion's industri'.. J horizon. In the meanlime we look; forward with interest to the publics- j [inn <■! reports giving resells of the! V.hi king nl co-oper iti .'o and alsu [)(•> I ill shaiine systems row in operation in New Zealand. Such information :-hould be of great value in guiding employers and employees alike in the more expansive application of the principles involved.

HOSPITAIi BOARD'S LEVY. . I The fact thai ratepayer-: in i-oar-try districts nave 10 contrioute more 1 than their fair share towards the', maintenance of hospitals is too well known to need stiessing. From e/eryl quarter the present inequitable sys-1 tern is denounced. Here, foi ex- J ample, is conin mil by "Tlie Waipa Post:' The rhspitai Hoards'' Conference will not have met in vain i if results in more elective sto,»s to collect hospital lees from patients well able to pay theiii. Dr. Valintine's ideal of a ;n>i of imi.ituiiiince divided equally oetween Government, local bodies, and patients is phcing a modest burden " l the j.atients and should be possible of attainment without bearing hnrdly <m those who are not in ■>. position to pay. From the figure* quoted l>y Mr. Panrecently, in address.rig the conference, we compile the following table showing what .vould he the lvsu't of distributing the burden as Dr. /alintine suggests:—-

Equal j At distri present, bution. S E Local bodies' levies 350,000 257,000 Government subsidy 287,000 257,000 Patients' fees . . 1.35.000 257,000 The amount leceiveu by the Boards from the patients in different districts varies from 5 per cent, to 40 per cent, of the. claims, the average being about 20 per cent. It may safely be taken that the variation represents not so much differences in ability :o pay as in efficiency of administration.