The Labour World.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4339, 21 November 1908, Page 2

The Labour World.

11. Ix our first article upon this subject we showed how natural causes ovfc which man has no control, and how artificial or n n-natural oauses over which be has contrjl, caused unemployment and poverty. In this article we will show attempts have been made to mi' igate or abolish poverty and to solve the problem of unemployment. Alms giving from very ancient times down to the present day offert ries in Christian Churches for the poor, has cost an immense sum of money and produced questionable results. It is doubtful whether benevolent societies, almshouses, orphanages, convalescent homes and other charities have done very much permanent good. Municipal and State relief his been very costly. The much abused land owners in England have paid in poor relief in taxation on their l«nd no less a sum than £soo,ooo,ooo 'sterling between the years 1601 and 1890; and an extra £234,000,000 is estimated to have been paid on taxation of houses for poor relief Old Age Pensions in New Zealand cost the tax payers over £310,000 a year and they are being introduced into England now. Germany has got several admirable systems of pensions and insurances. An effort was made by the State in France in the year 1848 to provide work for all th» unemployed. It is a Socialist claim that the State shall do that. The provincial Government published its decree on the 25th February of that year undertaking to guarantee a livelihood to all persons who would work. People flocked to the Government, but when 6,000 were engaged the Government was at its wits end. More people flocked into Paris, and great was the dissatisfaction when it was found that the authorities could not employ all applicants. The number of applicants increased by leaps and bounds as follows: Bv 21st March 30,000; 16th April 66,000; 15th May 100,000 and by 25th Miy 115,000. All sorts of even useless occupations lhad to be given to the men. Government resources failed, and then a serious revolt followed. Fighting began on 23rd June and within two days 10,000 persoi s were killed and 12,000 were made prisoners. That was an illustration of State help and spoon (feeding. Instead of self-reliance people relied on the State and great was the disappointment. and disaster. It is a historical warning for all times. Are we properly heeding that warning."' History repeats itself; so let us beware. Our New Zealand Public Co-operative Works carried on by the State are assuming great magnitude. In March 1907, the latest date available, no fewer than 6,378 men were employed on these works. We may perhaps add for the Civil staff of teachers, police and other officials 12,000, thus making nearly 20,000 persons ? Now the co-operative public works cannot for ever go on employing anincreasing number of men and, inasmuch as that co-operative labour prevents farmers from getting adequate farm hands at reasonable wages, the State will have to seriously enquire whether it should take on more men. For emergencies Co-operative works are justifiable. Other schemes have b°en ’ried or at(tempted such as limitation of bequests, single tax, naturalization of land, fintitatiou of the birth rate alias race suicide, but such schemes have been found abortive. There arc also in the air or on the s 'tatue Book, socialism, trade unionism, preference to unionists, minimum wage final, limitation of apprentices and a restriction of output. The result of these schemes is unrest, discontent and anxiety throughout the whole civilised world. Everywhare there are social, economic, intellectual and moral changes. We are in a transition state. Can we s five the problem ? Is it merely a question of bread and but er ?

It is a question or matter of satisfying the whole nature of man. He doth not live by bread alone. He has more than a mere animal nature. He has a spirit that mere material things can never satisfy. Man feels himself in touch with the Infinite. He cannot reconcile himself with the thought that he is only flesh and blood doomed to toil and then to die like a dog. Hence religion comes into the consi J eration and man wants to feel that God is a Father as well as a force or power holding worlds in there proper orbits and regulating the seasons of the year, Wh°n he gets a sense of true relationship with Deity, man is comforted in sorrow, guided in perplexi'ies, sustained in trials and made brave to do, dare and endure. On such a foundation as that may fellow good legislation, cheap railway transit, equitable land laws, technical education both agricultural and mechan’cal, private trade co-operation, profit sharing, enforced Sunday rest and well-regulated State labour Bureaux. In emergencies, and only in emergencies, the State might employ pcsons out of work and rigidly dismiss them when the emergency is passed. If then we add to the foregoing the following principles, wo think the poverty and unemployed problems would be solved to a very great extent, lhe highest sanction teaches that masters and capitalists are stewards ior trustees and should pay workers a fair day’s pay and that workers are equally bound to do a fair day’s work. Human beings are not to be subordinated to property. All for each and each for all should be the motto, aud then with a sense of a Divine Fatherhood will come a sense of a human Motherhood and there will follow such political and social reforms as will t

“ Ring out old shapes of foul disease, Riug out the narrowing lust of gold ; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in ’he thousand years of peace.”