The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1920. MAKING LIFE IMPOSSIBLE.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1920, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1920. MAKING LIFE IMPOSSIBLE.

Those who think we have fallen on an age in the world when life is especially difficult and anxious, and the struggle for existence keener than ever, may well stand aghast at the efforts of a section of the community to make life intolerable to the rest of their fellows. The waves of Socialism and Communism throughout the civilised world appear to be gathering force, and threatening to destroy the foundations * society. This loss of self-control is a growing evil, at, the root of which is excessive selfishness and a most intolerable tyranny. At the present time, in almost every country in the world there is taking place an upheaval which bodes ill for the future of humanity. Madness, without doubt, but with a smattering of method, and a vast expanse of selfishness, a craving for assertiveness. Men are not meant to be beasts of prey, eating one another up, warring against one another, and making life impossible. If unionism has no better lesson to teach than industrial warfare it should be avoided as a loathsome pestilence. All sorts of ingenious, yet fallacious, arguments are being put forward to justify unionism as a means for industrial domination—a weapon of destruction and not construction. Two recent examples of how opinions differ clearly show that there is no real unity of aim among, those who champion the cause of the workers. The Labor newspaper, edited by Mr. Appleton, secretary of the General Federation of Trade Unions, contends it is not fair for Mr. Thomas (general secretary or the Railwayinen's Union) to say: "The trusts and combinations of capital formed in self defence should not exist to the prejudice of the public, when vast combinations of Labor, originally formed for self-defenre, arc rapidly becoming predatory bodies, making life impossible for the rest of us. . . Labor itself lias become a very serious menace to those sections of the workers who would work if given a chance. It is only necessary to listen to the wild talk going on — the threats of revolution and socialism, the threats of anything and everything exceot settling down to work

and letting other people work—to realise who has really stood in the way of production at this critical time." No unbiassed person can view these sentiments as other than tending to the best interests of the workers, if only they would pause and calmly consider the situation. Mr. Appleton has done a greatservice to the workers by this straight-forward and commonsense exposition of the situation. In striking contrast to this is the anarchistic pronouncement made by the Italian Minister for Labor .(Signor Labriola), who, in the course of an interview, said: "Guilt for the crisis lies with the employers. The guiding principle of Signor Giolitti's policy is to adapt the country's institutions that they can be utilised forthwith if a change from the capitalist to a socialist system is made. If the owners decline to give up their factories they can be compelled to do so, because the general welfare must stand before the welfare of individuals." For a responsible Minister to advocate a Socialistic policy of this nature is to place a premium on revolutionary action and to pave the way for anarchy. No durable or equitable solution.of the industrial problem can be evolved without taking into account the two ruling factors—capital and competition. Terrorism can only paralyse industry and plunge the world into a state of enforced idleness and strife. Over thirty years ago, Charles Kingsley wrote: "Look upon these struggles between employers and employed as fair battles, in which by virtue of the irreversible laws of political economy, the party who is in the right is ! almost certain to win, and interfere in no wise, save to see fair play, and lawful means used on both sides alike. •. . . Let the workmen of Britain train themsell ves in the corporate spirit and in the obedience of self-control which it brings, and bear in mind always that only he who obeys is fit to rale." How true this is at the present day can easily be seen. A sound knowledge of political economy and of the social questions of the day, and a more complete conception of the fact that any act which injures a portion of the community affects the whole, will go far to open the minds of those who now-"see red." Only by common effort for the general welfare can the workers hope for permanent betterment of conditions and a larger stake in the prosperity of their country.