THE LABOR PROBLEM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 278, 27 April 1914, Page 4

THE LABOR PROBLEM.

SOJIE PROPOSED .SOLUTIONS.

ADDRKSS AT THK BROTluvKUOOl).

At the meeting of the New Plymouth brotherhood yesterday, Air. Walter Ainbury took the chair. The Rev. A. li. Chappcl! was the soloi-t, and Mr. K

Golding the pianist. The speaker fur the d;>y was Mr. U .H. Dolby, M.A., who delivered an interesting address 011 "The Labor Problem, and BOme Proposed Solutions."

After a brief introduction the speaker said that the labor problem, put briefly, was concerned with the question of the distribution of wealtn. lie proposed to treat briefly of the four chief attempts to deal with tins question—Socialism, Syndicalism, Co-operation and Profit-sharing. Practically all the Labor leaders weic socialists, hence they must consider tho ideals of socialism went some way tor wards settling the labor problem. In the past free competition had been considered the only way to increase production, but the crying evils it had given rise to had led to the factory laws, Which ■ did something to amend matters. Socialists recognised competition as wholly evil, and proposed to" hand over the whole business of the country to the State. The result was to be obtained oy gradual political action. In New Zealand we had gone some way towards 'Socialism, but the population generally was not very enthusiastic about the advantages gained, though most of them would not retrace the steps taken. The Syndicalists were entirely hostile to State action, and relied on the tra le union. They preached a class war, which had now been abandoned by socialists, and their ideal was to the general, strike. Syndicalism was a revolt against the slowness of political action, and the tendency of labor members to moderate their views after a few sessions in Parliament. Co-operation was the most successful"?? enterprise undertaken by tne British T working classes. More than ten tniliion persons in Britain dealt at the co-op-erative stores. The wholesale business had also been entered on and co-opera-tors owned many big factories, steamships and tea estates in Ceylon. The advantages of co-operation were cheapness, cash dealing, absence of midd.emen ami purity of goods. : Profit-sharing was an attempt to give the worker a snare of the protits as wen as the standard wage. -.n emp] oyer/ might, for example, say that after tin had earned 5 per cent, on his capital ho would 3hare any additional profit with his employees. Thus if lie made 8 per cent profit, the employees would get 3 I per cent, on their year's wages. Some proportion of this bonus, in many cases half, had to be invested in the bupinew thu3 the workers 'became partners or shareholders. It required a business to be profitable and well-established hence 1 it was not generally applicable, thou *l| excellent wnen it was possible. ° ' I In conclusion, tlie speaker pointed o'lt that that none of the schemes referred I to gave an immediate solution of the I labor problem, and expressed hi? own I preference for action by the unions themselves, m the direction of co-op.-r-I ation and the ownership of business enterprise^.