The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1920. CAPITAL AND LABOUR.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3414, 19 February 1920, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1920. CAPITAL AND LABOUR.

With which its incorpr, Am- “ The Taihape Post. B.‘ ) Wniniarino - News-“M

It is remarkable that after so much having been said about the urgent need for bringing about a better understanding, and a. more just and reasonable relationship between Capital and Labour they seem to be drifting farther and farther apart. The rift between the classes is,_ obviously, getting wider and wider, so much so that there is a veritable «black chasm looming up between them. Have both Capital and Labour been sincere in their advocacy of a closer mingling of friendly relationship? There are few signs that either have ‘troubled to accomplish much in that connection. Both have been hanging back -in the harness they have put on, waiting for something to turn _up that will shift the preponderance of power .in their respective directions, and class relationships are becoming more and more adversely accentuated. Never was there such strikes and rumours of strikes as at the present time; never did industrial troubles threaten more seriously, and never were the peoples of great nations less able to bear the results of a war between Capital and Labour. Both sides are counting -their forces, "and organising them for industrial war while covertly talking of peace and closer, more friendly; industrial relationships. In New Zealand Government has arraing ed itself against Labour if it has not actually declared for Capital. It has pretended »to be against those conditions which are the very essence of class division. It ‘has passed laws against trade robbery, against ineat trusts, against monopoly, against lanai aggregation. The Government mountain has been in Labour and has brought forth the proverbial mouse, and that stillborn. Are efforts to maintain industrial peace sincerei-If they are why is there the widespread fear and persistent rumour ‘everywhere of a big clash between Labour and Capital? If Gpvernment, Cap-i‘tal and Labour are really serious and honest in their protestations of desire for industrial peace why are there rumours of war? Why is not the public mind obsessed and concerned with visions of peace instead of with vi--‘ ions of war? is it not a factithat coming events cast their sliadows before? The war, yet in the air, could ‘be prevented from descending upon ‘us, but are not Government, Capital - and Labour doing their utmost to keep lit poised overhead in readiness I'ol‘ 3501119 Importune‘ time that may never come to either of them? Capital is parleying with Labour while it is Stl'iVillg to starve workers into .=-übiectioll; Labour enters into negoti-51' tions. with Capital, and meanwhile ,Dl'actices a go-slow policy which injures the masses of the people I'34‘ more than it does capitalists» but it also tends to increase popular feeling against capitalism, for while the masses are suffering fearful privation capitalists have not the commonsense to cease ostentatious display, and Waste of that which could be used to eliminate want. The mlajority have hoped against hope for some improvement of relationship between Labour and Capital; that Government Wnlild hold the scales of justice between them to make for peace and contentment, yet all the talk is of strife; the spirit of discord is everywhere hover-

ing overhead, imbueing all with a

dread expectancy of War, of industrial upheaval that may evenresult in a recast of social and industrial conditions, and still no real effort is made to prevent ‘that spirit entering ‘lnto the masses. There is suffering, privation, enervation of indu.stry owing t 0 Coal Shortage; coalminers have left the mines because better-conditions and better remuneration is obtainable at less dangerous, less arduous work. The exodus of men from the .ulining industry indicates that the ‘relation. ships between owners and men are not what are requisite for keeping men at mining, and yet, despite all the privation and closing down of industries for want of coal, owners refused to meet the men’s representatives in conference with a view to ending misunderstanding. 'i‘rll+3, the owners are now conferring with. the men and hopes for a satisfactory settlement are entertained. There is, however, the greater question, which is either i a matter for Government to take in hand, or it is not. But as Government: has accepted responsibility in all such mazzbers the question of duty does not exist. The masses of the people are not profitably employed; they are chiefly engaged in our largest centres of population striving to participate in the distribution of those rich_es which are earned off the land in the country. Money received for WOOI, meat, shutter, and cheese passes ‘through banks to those large- centres, and it is passed out for competition in every avenue of life from the most criminal trickery, sickening displays of luxury, right down to veritable slavery. It passes in and out of the banks much as money passes in and out of a totalisator on a race-course, and is soon losit entirely. This absolute loss is not so noticable owing to high prices for products enabling producers to go on replenishing the money supply of the cities. Government is aware; everybody is aware of the living upon each other, the parasitism and cannibalism that is rampant in ciities, and yet land in the country is tied up so that people cannot get upon it. Laws are passed against land aggregation, against profitcering, against strikes, against trusts, monopolies, and combines, why were those laws enacted? Presumably, surely, STO compel immoral—mindod men to act justly, to refrain from dishoncstly acquiring thatbclonging to the State, -or to other people. \Vhy have those laws not been put into operation? There is undeniable land aggregation, profitcering, trust operations, strikes, and yet the law-breakers are not prosecuted. It is true that strikers have been brought before law courts, convicted and punished, but tliere is a. I'emal‘kablc absence in court, records of cases of land aggregation and trade robbery. These notable facts are being passed around among the masses of tlib peo‘ple, and the Opinion is fast gaining ground that the Government that will prosecute with all the rigour of the law, the worker who strikes, while allowing, even eiicouraging, pl'ofifool'-Q and land aggregators to break the law, is a class government, that is neither sincere nor honest in its e.\'pi’-essed desire to found, or reconstruct industry and society on a’broader, a more just basis. Why“ are not laws, fraught with so much danger to industry, which means civilisation, placed where they should be, in the criminal code? The man in the street Mao behaves in a way likely ‘EO 031150 a disturbance between two people is l'll‘?"‘CSl7otZl as a. criminal, fined or gaoled as 'a criminal, bpt men whose a<‘-TS are calaulatcjd to cdnviilse dzations are left free to rob, plun('l(‘l', and seize witliout let or hindrance. Apart fI‘OIII 1333393 of confusing verbiage, nothiflg has been done to bridge over the «ilifi'el'cnces between Labour and ;Capital'. Not one move has been made to stop land ag-gregatior'l;ri not one step has been taken in prevention of p‘r-ofiteer-ing; meat trusts are still operating, positively astonishing profits are being cxactod, and all thg Government has done ‘is to stop public works until men are forced by want to work for twelve shillings a day, a wage men cannot keep a family on while profiteering and land aggregation, and trust operations are allowed to grow and flourish. If we would understand our own case 11+, is necessary We should have as intimate a, knowledge of the case of the other f;-,1-low as it is possible to acquire. Have Government and people utterly failed to agree upon any basis for :1 better Ulla‘-‘~l'St3«DdiDg and more sensible relationship between Labour and Capital? Rumours in the'air, and the Spirit 3Pl3al'9nt are indications that relations are becoming more strained, that the tension is greater, not less. Every class of labour is being estranged and fl}? GoVol‘mnont is almost daily recogmsml as b°"°1"l“8’ 1110 f»: and more a class government by the masses, and l’3“'tiC‘ll3l'lY by Labour generally, so mllcll so that many regard the situation us irrotrievalilc-,