“PULL TOGETHER”

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1921, Page 11

“PULL TOGETHER”

THE NEED FOR CO-OPERATION. (Contributed by the N.Z. Welfare League.) We are living in a strenuous age when the powers of light and darkness, truth and falsehood are in close conflict. The danger is that in the heat of constant conflict human frailty of judgment may lead most indjividua’ls to assume that they have all the light and ■truth whilst any who differ from them are in outer darkness. There is need, constant need, for the people of the British Empire to remember that whatever party or sect we belong to, whether workmen or capitalists we are after all one people saddled with tremendous responsibility as members of the great combination of free nations that is known as Imperial Britain, and may equally be spoken of as the world wide British Commonwealth. The vast Dominions, which have risen from the grand old Mother Land, hailed with delight the advent of their Prince who came amongst us, being absolutely one of us. The touch of majesty and humanity expressed in his manly British representatives was an inspiration towards that which is most vital—unity as a people. Since the visit to his people overseas, the Prince of Wales has given to the Empire a motto couched in the language of the common people, “Pull together” are all the words used, and, yet they carry the whole lesson of what is most necessary for the common welfare of all. Thinking men and women of all parties realise that in this time of stress and trial unity is more than strength, it .is wisfetom. Even those who, in the passion of an abstract desire to follow their own will in all things, would dismember the Empire yet pause at times to affirm that with “self determination” they would couple association with the lands now bound together in the Imperial bond. Whether we are considering social, industrial, or political relations within this far flung commonwealth to which we belong, or our associations with friendly people of other nations, the value of sincere cooperation in the great work of human advancement should never be forgotten. In regard to social relationship we might keep in mind that when Britain and her Allies were in the most dire straits the British Empire' won through because her people realised their unity. As Kipling put it there was , “Duke’s son, cook’s son, son of a belted Earl” all pulling together. There was but one class—the people, and one party—the nation. This recognition of a common birthright in our free citizenship is the bond thrift should control in peace time as well as in war. The aristocracy of manhood and the spiritual fellowship of character and high thoughts is the only ideal of class that is of real value. The class consciousness of fools may yet exhibit itself in the superciliousness of wealthy ignorance of the sulky hatred of the unthinking laborite; but men and women who reason will realise that citizenship transcends station whilst the line of progress for the general welfare is to “pull together.” The words “self determination” and “liberty” in the sense of doing just what we individually please are very attractive. Though we have read passionate protests that led only to dismemberment we have come across no apostle of secession who stopped to define the limits of their proposed dissolution of partnership. To pull separate means a process of dissolution and on this course, in application to our Empire, all the nations may go alone, England, Ireland, Scotland. Australia Canada, Africa, each in splendid isolation of independence. The right to pull apart still remains for the States and Counties of these Nations. No. better by far is the plan of unity—“pull together.” We know that the Trades Unionists of ally these lands are being counselled by inHs-'leaders to support the cause of disunity. It is a monstrous appeal to incite the workers who believe in unionis-m to aim at disruption, nonunionism and the whole policy of distrust which breeds accentuated hatred. As in national affairs so also in industrial matters are we faced with the same choice of “pulling together” or working in antagonism. The whole industrial issue is one of partnership or warfare and we stand for the policy that makes for partnership. Neither capital nor labor can stand alone. They mutually depend on each other, and there is therefore a most solid reason why they should seek to “pull together.” It. is an easy matter to show why they should seek to “pull together.” It is an easy matter to show that in specific instances where labor and capital have gone to war with each other, both have suffered severely and neither have gained anything but added human experience, whilst the nation in every instance is poorer as a result of the conflict.

To take one single instance. According to Mr. Bridgeman, Secretary of Mines, the loss in output through the coal strike in England, brief as it was amounted. to over 13 millions tons, while the loss in wages to the miners alone was over £14,000.000. These losses represent but a small percentage of the total loss to the industries and the people of Great Britain. We appeal as an antidote for this sort of destruction for closer partnership between employers and employed. The method of handling industrial questions on the basis of sectional disputes, which is about as far as we..have got in New Zealand, is most unsatisfactory. In these trade contests the parties are concerned mainly with their own interests and the general relations of all industries is passed over as being nobody’s particular business. Instead of contests, whether in conferences or before a court, over demands and counter demands, we suggest it would be better if employers and pm-ployed would come together'and candidly discuss the stete of trade, conditions of living, prices ruling and such cognate questions as really govern the economic adjustments of wages, hours and conditions of work. This would be a sten towards effective co-operation. It would he evidence of a desire to “pull together” and until wo as a neople get down to this method of candid reason it means that we shall never bp free from the petty warfare, stoppages of trade and general loss from which the public suffer. To produce the best for full there is no other rule, to go unon than the motto of “pull together.”