The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1911. ANOTHER CORONATION PENDING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 289, 26 April 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26, 1911. ANOTHER CORONATION PENDING.

Une of the Quaintest phases of the fight of onganised Labor in Xew Zealand with the liated "capitalist" is that a few hotbloods assume their views are. commonly heldy afii' tli at Hi eh- decisions*-must be humbly accepted by the country.' The most pathetic evidence of a few men's belief, in their power has lately been given at the Trades Conference, where, with aggressive insolence, the position of the President of the Arbitration Court was considered. It was quite clear to the minds of the persons who suggested the removal of Mr, Justice Sim, that they had some kind of right to obtain his dismissal, because he had not'been invariably partial and'biassed in favor of increased demands. The average person .will always be found to agree that the worker .is entitled to strive for his own betterment, but the average person can never see why the worker or those few of his' representatives who are incurably partial and selfish, should never suggest increased efli•cicncy as a return for increased benefits. It was pointed out at that Labor Conference that each succeeding president of the Arbitration Court was "worse than the last." It is clear that to, please "Labor" (which in this connection happily does not mean the working population of New Zealand), the president of an Arbitration Court would need to have his mind made up to favor Labor before he opened a case. Labor, therefore, when it asks for justice, spells it "partiality," and fouls its own nest by its peculiar bias. Labor—in its narrowest sense—talks grandiloquently, about the nationalisation of. production, distrilvj tion and exchange. The country may be aching to have its business reconstructed on principles approved by some delegates to a conference, but no one at any of these conferences suggests means for effecting the ideal. The means of production, distribution and exchange cannot become natipnalised by talking about it, and the State gets no further ahead on the way to perfect commercial peace by receiving demands that hours shall be shortened, wages raised, immigrants kept out of the country, and the standard of skill in all trades lowered. The last 4s the greatest danger of all, and there is 110 question as to the truth of the contention that pride in handiwork is beeoming subjugated to a vague vocal aggression that effects no useful purpose and makes people outside the charmed socialist circle very tired. The strange feature about the methods of Xew Zealand's vague and noisy demagogues is that they have no power of initiation or originality. They even stick to imported and unaltered phrases to indicate their ambitions. The circulation of a new text-book means the making of many converts, and it is invigorating in this connection to notice that- an odd thinker here and there among the ranks of the army which believes it is marching to some unknown haven of rest, spurns the stupidities and generalities and points out the absurdities. One of the least mild Labor men, in speaking of this vague nationalisation of everything, suggested that his revolutionary comrades "wanted to get to the moon in one jump. Having got there they would probably go off and break their necks," concluded Mr. Young. The public is asked to believe that peace and joy and contentment would be achieved by insisting that every worker, whatever his skill, whatever his trade—supposing, of course, he were a unionist —should get not less than Is 3d an hour. "Presumably it would not matter whether lie could perform threepennvworth of labor or half-a-crown's worth. It is further requested to agree to gradually give up trying to run its own business, in order that the State may become the only con-

troller of business. It may confirm the idea that the president of an Arbitration Court is a useless functionary if he does not invariably "find" in favor of the same side. It has an opportunity of declaring its sympathy with the idea that assistance in order to provide immi-' grants to work our empty country is wrong. It may sanction the notion that individual ambition, achievement and the gaining of profits are wicked. It may be able to suggest, how, on the abolition of the hated capitalist, the country will run its industries, especially as under nationalisation the output of every product would be'reduced to the minimum demanded by emancipated Labor. In order to reach the summit of ambition it is necessary to kick the ladder away. To achieve wealth, knock, off work. To ensure safety when leaving a shipwreck, first pull out the plug in the bottom of the lifeboat. To help the hungry, destroy all available provisions; when thirsty, eat salt; when footsore, get off the grass and walk on the metal. By these means shall the red flag wave over these islands and joy and peace and comfort reign. So that everybody may get plenty of money, it is necessary to abolish it; so that your cup of joy may he full to overflowing, poke a hole through it, In the name of equality, fraternity and freedom, make it impossible for a man to feed his family unless he is duly ticketed. Reduce his hours and his output in order to swell the general larder. Kill the nefarious idea still existing in a few workers .of various sorts that it is their duty to do the best they can, as well for the "master" as for themselves. Destroy the idea that it is noble to serve, and that national indiscipline is the fore-runner of national atrophy. Above all, listen to the roar of the agitator. He is our salvation., Without him the grass would not grow, the sheep would refuse to wear wool, and the earth give up supplying us with what is necessary. Appoint the Bowlings, Manns and Laracies to look after "production, distribution and exchange." Then will the rivers containing the oil of gladness burst their banks, and Labor be proclaimed King!