The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1918. CONSCRIPTION OF WORKERS.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 April 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1918. CONSCRIPTION OF WORKERS.

(AVitk wlticU i« lucorpnrated The .'« iiKpo k'ubt and Wfttaau*\<«» iv«v<.St..

The New Zealand National Government is bent upon leaving every other part of the British Empire a long way back in the trail of sensational legislation. Prior to Reform coming into power* this country had a world-wide reputation for humane law-making that tended to placing the masses of the people on an equality before and under the laws. ■ That Government was accused of going to an insane extreme in experimental legislation, in making class laws that would ruin the country, but when the howlers against those laws got into power they showed their irisincerity in admitting the beneficence of them by adopting them in toto as their own. Emboldened by a some sort of hybrid connection with the caudal end of the Seddon regime Reform is reversing the legislative machinery winding up the beneficent provisions of liberal and humane enact-, ments and burying them under new ones which really constitute a reversion to what obtained in Britain over a thousand years ago. The powers that rule now are somewhat changed in character from the old feudal lords, but they are taking with some show of indeec»nt autocracy those- 'powers the old feudal lords knew to be their rights under the laws obtaining in those ancient days. It must not be assumed that we are opposed to any extreme being adopted that is necessary for the maintenance of the Empire from domination by such a power and form of civilisation as that of Germany, but it has occurred to us that the National Government is not as discreet as it might be in processes that are going to affect the liberty of every man, woman and child who do not belong to the employing class. The proposals for conscription of men and women workers, pushed into the Finance Act, are not in accordance with the established ideas of British liberty, for men arc as truly rendered slaves as tho poor beings were who were ascripti glebac a thousand years ago. It is no use or advantage to make any false pretence about the conscription of labour for under a volley of derisive "Ohs" and general laughter the newly elected reform member for Wellington North made it quite clear what his impression of conscription of labour was, and without a shadow of doubt he had got that impression from his masters. He urged his creators not to waste time listening to those who advised caution and discretion, "it was," he said, "absolutely necessary to have power to transfer men from one, factory to another, or one foundry to another." Those'who thought otherwise • were no true friends to their country. Of course, this statement depends very much upon who the speaker may consider is the country. Evidently Mr. Luke's idea is that factory owners and foundry owners are the country, farmers and workers are a mere consideration. Dr. New T man with undeniable clarity disclosed what his party's conscription of labour Avas intended for and how it was to operate. He said: "There were crowds of people whose one idea in life was to shut up all their fellows' industries so that they might gain; it was no good saying no, everybody knew it was so." It is truly amazing how some men's greed blinds them to all sense and aspects of justice. The Prime Minister told his henchman, Dr. Newman, he was making a serious statement; at the same time Mr. Massey was advocating adoption of a law which was, admittedly, to bring the masses of the people "unqrer ia dangerous (form ,of slavery; a law under which men could be herded together, taken from their homes and transported to just such places as the Luke class of mankind might desire. Members of all political parties realised that labour was to be forced to work so that factory and foundry owners might still further extend their profiteering. Mr. Lee pointed out the iniquity of conscripting labour while thousands of men's time was taken up entirely by sports Of course, horse-racing and such like are little concessions that can very well be allowed to idle and semi-idle rich, and sports could very well be allowed to continue so long as the remainder of labour was conscripted to do the work those engaged in sports should be compelled to do. Mr. Massey went so far as to suggest that anyone opposing his proposals for enscripting all labour would bo guilty of a breach of War Regulations. WellJot us say that the head of the house of, Hohenzollerns could not utter a wore autocratic sentence. Dr. Newman told Mr. Massey the Government *verc rushing through ill-digested legislation that might have very serious , "»«<**.<? To conscript men for the r,rmy and then to conscript all workers

while leaving rick meii~>and employers to follow their own wills and desires must be regarded by all sane men as a viiry daugeiovo j>rocecding. Comparavivc argument wes not concern us out iuric while the Empire is in danger, duo '.,iioh we come to conscripting life and follow that up by taking from men in one section of. the community the control of their own bodies, nothing should be left unsaid against it, because it is fraught , with extreme danger to the welfare of all, rich and poor, employer and employed. It is a one-eyed proposal, ill-conceived and ill-considered. When meat and wool were commandeered the growers were consulted and it remained with them to consent to terms, but when a man's own person is taken out of his own control we are not told what further is to happen. Conscription of labour was a mistake while we see bakers, milkmen, grocers, and others chasing each other through the various streets of our cities, and while, so many thousands are engaged in sport and in other parasitic occupations which are in no way essential. One stands aghast at the iniquitous boldness displayed, which in good nature we must attribute to incapacity and ineptitude rather than to a wicked attempt of employers to get the Government to compulsorily make men work for them so' that their private gain may be greater. If Mr, Massey will commandeer essential factories as the- British Government has done and then Orgaise labour to work therein no one could have just reason to complain; but that is not what the New Zealand Government has done; It has' left factory and foundry owners free to make what profits they like while it is compelling men to go and work wherever the works owners may want them, presumably at ruling remuneration. If the masses of the people do not take the whole subject into their own keeping; if they do not refuse to surrender their bodies to the custody of Mr. Massey or any other employer then we have not a true estimate of the temper of the very best class of workers in this country. Every patriot will do his utmost in this time of the Empire's stress, but it is too great a strain on human nature for one riian to have to submit to a law that makes him the slave of another.' Sir John Findla'y is hopeful that none of the evils of the enactment will be allowed to appear but that out of it will spring a new industrial era beneficial and acceptable alike .to all industrial parties.