CORRESPONDENCE. THE LOGIC OF DISLOCATION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 200, 21 February 1912, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE LOGIC OF DISLOCATION.

To the Editor. Sir,—For centuries the standard authorities upon such matters always advocated the use of the rack. Its effectiveness up to a certain point was undoubted, and as a lightning converter it had few equals. The simplicity of its mechanical construction made it a popular instrument for the manufacture of loyal and loving subjects for kings and bishops, and such like. But the machine had its disadvantages in that dur-1 ing the process the convert mostly died; in which case the friends and relatives of the deceased would feel called upon to give some tangible expression to their feeling in the matter, which they' usually did by firing a royal salute of about fiftynine guns at such representatives of the Throne or Church who happened to, come within gunshot. Also there was always a doubt as the sincerity of an allegiance brought about by physical torture, and, further, a dislocated recruit was not much use to a cause anyhow. So for various reasons the machine went out 'of favor, and was consigned to the scrap heap. But the practice of dislocation is being revived and worked upon scientific lines by'combines of capital and labor, who, however they may disagree on minor points, are unanimous upon the question of putting the public on the rack'should it suit, their interests to do so. The object of any combine, whether of capital or labor, is "to strengthen their position 60 that they get that which is justly theirs, and, up to this point,'they and the public have no quarrel. But the fact of these units of the body politic combining gives them a power out of all proportion to their' importance in the i economic world. Organised capital and organised labor might in some cases be desirable factors in society. They certainly have a high and mighty opinion of themselves, and their dignity is'some- , thing calculated to astonish natives, but i | they are not altogether indispensible. Time was when, if the monetary condi- ] j tions between them were satisfactory, they ran smoothly side-by side, but that j day is gone. For instance, in the railway i strike in Victoria, in the tramway strike, in Brisbane, and the recent strike in Wellington, the question of wages played no part in the dispute,, but the trouble i was brought about because the opposing ' leaders discovered that they disagreed over the higher criticism, or the Dog Act. or something. Immediately the trade arteries are closed the public are put on the rack, and the iniquities of* dislocation are applied. The pity of it is that thousands of innocent and utterly helpless women and children who have no part in the quarrel are offered up as I a sacrifice to the Moloch of CombinationI There is certainly something the matter with a system that requires a ton of misery to maintain an ounce of principle. -I am, etc., FRANK BELL. Toko, February 19, 1912.