WHAT IS LABOR?

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1920, Page 7

WHAT IS LABOR?

THE CLASS CONCEPTION AND THE HUMAN. A STUDY OF FIRST IMPORTANCE. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.) There is nothing that lends itself ip clear thinking moro than the practice of defining! the terms used in the propositions we set forth. In the discussion of economic and political questions for instance, now great is the confusion I hat arises over the loose handling of the word "labor." Contraveraalists at times become heated and embittered with one another in discussing tho questions of Labor's power, rights, duties and privileges. Feeling and passion, love and hatred, are all invoked for tho purpose of proving eases when a careful examination would show that the disputing parties have started from •Afferent premises and are drawing different meaning from tho ;ame eommdn ■>rms and, therefore, cannot possibly arrive at a common understanding. We cannot hope to all agree with the topics wo discuss but the primary object of Human converse, rationally undertaken, ; i to understand one another. So very !-v:ch depends upon the methods of -ght understanding that in the interest of the common welfare we submit this brief study of tho subject. There is probably no word in the English langirage over which more disputes arise, and often . acrominious at that, than the word "labor," Tho question stands, "What is LabbrJ" It ought surely to be possible for men and wdmen to arrive at some common understanding on the meaning of this wo:-.:. At present we are far from possessing such a common understanding. To on« class of persons "labor" means manual work; to others it means any kind of work, whether it be of hand, brain, eye, or of anv human faculty. To some people "labor"" designates persons encaged "in manual sen-ice, to others it means siipwirt-iV particular views in the field of ceo" nomio and political thought- To the thinker of broad judgment "labor" has the wide and comprehensive meaning of all human effort that is directed towards the creation -ot means for the maintenance and advancement of human, life. A close analysis of the meanings given to this term will show we think, that they rest upon two mental conceptions. One conception is the narrow view of class and section. To those holding this conception "labor" means a particular section of human beings regarded as a distinct class because of the nature of their services, their social status in society or the economic, philosophy they uphold. The other conception is the broad view of humanity, and those holding that conception mean by the term "labor" all human effort that is directed to the constructive purpose of maintaining and adtive purpose of maintaining and advancing human life.

THE CUSS CONCEPTION. In the narrow view of regarding "labor" as a class there are very grave dangers. Its tendency ia to disregard humanity as a whole'and to make of the word "labor" a kind of mental idol which demands the slavish adoration and unthinking service of its devotees. To the less educated this calls for absorption in the interests of their calling and the exclusion of consideration for tho rest of humanity. If laborers, then, to them the horny hand alone is "labor" and they have no time for any others; or perhaps thev are tradesmen who will think of the' men in trades, or in general laboring work, as their class which they designate "labor," leaving all others outside. The tendency of this narrow class conception of labor is to load those who hold it to unduly exalt the value of manual work and either ignore or belittle that of mental and moral quality. When socialists affirm that "labor" is the source of all wealth they do not mean by "labor" human service, but only a particular class of service, and the narrowness of their interpretation of the word leads to much needless conflict. Tho definition of labor on the basis of class is the source of many errors. Out of it arises the disposition to postulate wago earners as a special kind of human being with thoughts, feelings and aspirations differing in all respects with those not of their class.

This false theory of human being has created a special school which makes the teaching of class consciousness and inciting to class hatred and revolt its chief motives. Where a political party is formed on this class conception of labor it becomes but the servitor of sectional interests, and under the temptation in polities towards opportunism it. proves a serious danger to the State, as in finding it cannot get all for its class it naturally moves towards the destruction of the State by revolutionary process.

THE HUMAN CONCEPTION. ft If 'iabor" was generally accepted in the broad sense as meaning and implying "all human service directed towards the maintenance and advancement of human life" we should cease to postulate it as a class and recognise its real value as a principle in human affairs. A labor movement inspired by this conception would place general human welfare before all else. It would operate towards the encouragement of industry in all its various forms and oppoao idleness and waste wherever found. The rich loafer and the poor alike would find it a stern judge. A labor parly on the basis of this broad meaning of the term "labor" would be open to all useful members of society as the principle which bound it together and for which it existed would be the collective ideal of advancing the general weal by encouraging everv form nf useful service to the State anil to all its members. Sueh a party would not be hampered with the bonds of cut and dried programmes woven out of "a priori" conceptions of the interests of class. In conclusion, let us say we are confident that to-day thousands of people "vote labor." as it is called, not because they believe in the present class basis adopted, but because they are in hopes that some day "labor" will be given a broadly human meaning and get away from the practice of expressing mainly antagonism on to the higher ground of expressing service and goodwill to the general welfare 5f all. Labor in this broad sense of humanity, we shall heartily welcome.