The Daily News. SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1914. THE PROBLEM OF THE NATIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 4, 23 May 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MAY 23, 1914. THE PROBLEM OF THE NATIONS.

.Modein statesmanship is compelled more and more to regard Hie problems of society as problems that are international and universal in character and import. In the solution of ttheso problems all nations arc bound, in duty to themselves and as an obligation to their common civilisation, to take a part. Such are the words of wisdom which form part of Mr. Lloyd George's preface to Professor Ernot Sieper's aeries of monographs dealing with the whole range of the culture of England to-day. This welcome work, bearing on the great question of the day, is a thoughtful contribution of great interest in relation to the new social reforms that have been brought into force in England, but it has a scope much wider than the confines of the United Kingdom, inasmuch as it sets forth the preventive as distinguished from the pallintive side of social legislation. All students of the social problem Will recognise that the preventive side of the question is of the utmost importance. The application of sound commercial .principles to national life is a step in the right direction it may even be regarded as the only key to successful legislation. No commercial undertaking which, in striving to show large apparent - starves its business instead of keeping it well supplied with capital, could permanently be carried on successfully on such lines. The essence of national life is the health, strength and intelligence of its workers. They form the nation's great asset. It, therefore, stands to reason that the increased welfare and happiness of the means a larger material gain for the whole nation. Mr. Lloyd George contends that no attitude could be more .short-sighted or more paralysing in its influence upon social policy than that of -the man who shrinks at the immediate cost of great social reforms which aim at increasing the vigor and efficiency of the millions by whom the country's material wealth is produced. "No nation," he justly observes, "whose prosperity depends upon its industrial efficiency can alford to tolerate on a large scale deplorable conditions of the kind which made the Trade Boards Act (fixing minimum rates of wages for what are known as the sweated industries) necessary." Be- . tween 150,000 and 200,000 workers have benefited by that Act, and their stnn- '! dard of life raised thereby, while the ( employers have been compensated by I nvoro efficient labor and a larger output. The Homeland has much to learn from i New Zealand in the matter of handling the social problem and recognising that the workers are entitled to take tiheir Ifair share of the sun's rays. It is only by understanding the true value of the ~ workers as a national asset that the - problem of the nations will he solved However much the principles of political L and social economy may be ignored—- ■ callously or wilfully—the time must come when they will force themselves on the attention of Governments. Events move rapidly in these days, and the insistent demands of the masses foi humane treatment can only have one result —the recognition of their claims To adopt the preventive system will be productive of far greater benefits than could be obtained by palliative means and if tho workers of Great Britain , only take tho right and legitimate moans, they will assuredly come into their own and enjoy life instead of leading a miserable existence.