WORLD'S INDUSTRIAL LESSONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 July 1919, Page 9

WORLD'S INDUSTRIAL LESSONS.

BOLD POLICY IMPERATIVE. VIEWS OF NEW SOUTH WALES MINISTER. "Tho industrial conflict is rapidly acquiring a sinister aspect in all parts of the world, and will not be met by occasional feverish spasms of I'arliamentary activity. "The system of social organisation in which individualism plays the main part must justify itself, or it may soon bo superseded by some scheme of universal •socialisation." . These views were expressed on June 8 by Mr. Beeby, Minister for and Industry in New Soufh Wales, who has just returned from a tour of America and Great Britain. "My main purpose in visiting America was to ascertain to what extent the productivity of its labor is superior to ours, how this higher productivity was secured, and to what extent, if at all, the Australian system of legal contro) of industrial relationship plac?d us at a disadvantage with other countries. Before being long in the United States 1 realised that these questions had become of superficial importance, and that even in America profound economic, 'changes were certain to result from the war.

CHANGES CAUSED BY WAR. "From more detailed information available as to the trend of events iu Great Britain after the signing of the armistice, I also realised that British industrialism was moving towards great changes, and I therefore decided to visit London. The war has swept away the traditional boundaries of industrial controversy. New issues have arisen, new aspirations have emerged from the confusion of pre-war days, and even the oldest-established countries are moving swiftly towards great changes The immense need of the hour is to understand what the industrialists of to-day—with their new bonds of international sympathy and mutuality—arc now striving for, and with that understanding to steer the body politics from the abyss of anarchy and destruction into which it could so easily drift. "I, have prepared, and will publish aa soon as possible, an extensive' report of my inquiries, and I believe that much of the information, collected will be o! value.

NEW '(DEMANDS OF LABOR. "Briefly stated, the most Vivid impression made on me is that industrial conflict is not merely an irritating feature of social life.; It is rapidly acquiring a sinister aspect in all parts of the world*; and will not be met by occasional feverish spasms of Parliamantary activity.

"Every country must put forward and honestly carry out a constructive policy of progressive social reform. "The existing system of production is challenged, not only by theorists, not only by professional agitators, not only by the destructive agents of unarchy, but by a steady increasing number of intelligent working men. The new demands of l4ibor go to the root o\ things, and the system of social organisations, in which individualism plays the main part, must justify itself, or it may soon be superseded by some seheme of universal socialisation. AVOIDING EUROPE'S RUINS.

"If th« Anglo-Saxon nations are tp bo kept clear of the crumbling ruins of Europe, they must meet tho just aspirations of industrialism. "The changed attitude of the workers of America and Great Britain-notonl} of manual workers, but of clerks, distributors, and civil servants—is not a temporary reaction following the nerve strain of the war— it is fundamental and permanent. The drift to communism with its inevitable resufis of'lower production and lower standards of life for all, can be checked by educational work and by honest and comprehensive reform. "As Mr. Lloyd George said at the opening of the present British Parliament: We must stop at no sacrifice of Interest or prejudice to stamp out unmerited poverty, to diminish unemployment, and mitigate its sufferings, to provide decent homes to improve the nation's health; and to raise the standard of well-being throughout the community. The motives of leisure and prosperity must bo more generally assured to all." AUSTRALIA'S POSITION TRAGIC.

"The present position of affairs in Australia is tragic. Here we are in the middle of clearing up the aftermath of the war, getting our men back, and reestablishing them in <svil life, finalising our war balance-sheet, and getting ready for the inevitable policy of industrial reform and progress. A section of a great union, led Jby syndicalists, takos advantage of the* situation, not with any desire to help th> community in shaping a new policy, but solely for the purpose of embarrassing the State. They Tefnse to arbitrate, they prevent the taking of a real ballot of members, and their leaders clearly hope only to introduce anarchv and disorder into their State. The reaction against their own people is inevitable. "Every strike just now only impedes our recovery from the effects of the war, and while it may omforass .Govern merits, it inflicts unnecessary misery on thousands of non-combatants and prc> vents our return to normal conditions. "In England, the Unions for the time being have thrown off the influence of syndicalist minorities, and are assisting the Government in the framing of its reconstruction policy. The ?.imc development is possible here if the men and women who do not want anarchy will not, from a false sense of loyalty, respond to every disturbance which the syndicalists by the complete suppression of democratic unionism, succeed in engineering.

ADVICE TO WORKERS. "The seamen, the wharf laborers, all workers undoubtedly have claims which must be considered, many of which must he conceded. But to attempt to enforce in a way which must, if it continues, end in general ruin, can only be on account of the influence of the apostles of destruction, who. after carefully suppressing majority rule in unions, trade on the Australian workman's loyalty to his class, whether the attack be right or wrong. "My appeal to the workers of Australia is to slick to arbitration, at least till the war is over, and then to assist in framing a scheme of reform which meet every just demand for higher Standards of living, gTeater security, and better co-operation between capital management and labor, tho three factor* jS,