The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1890. CAPITAL AND LABOR.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2093, 2 September 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1890. CAPITAL AND LABOR.

The present strike in this colony is certainly the most remarkable in the world’s history. It has not arisen out o£ the question of wages, neither have the hours of labor anything to do with it, so far as we can see. It is nothing more nor less than a struggle for supremacy. Labor has of late been asserting its power; Capital felt it must maintain its prestige at any cost, and hence the dispute. We' can of course realise the feelings of Capital. It has held power for a long time; it has become second nature with it to command and be obeyed; it never knew what it was to meet Labor oh equal terms, and consequently it is only natural that it should not relish being rebuffed in the least degree. In books on political economy; in homilies on the brotherhood of man ; in moral discourses on social obligations Capital always says to Labor, “ We are joint partners in this concern, we both have equal interest in it.” In practical every-day work, however, Capital changes its tone altogether and says “ This is my business, and I shall manage it as I like. lam not going to be dictated to by you. It is no affair of anyone else how I manage my business.” Thus all the beautiful sentiments about partnership vanish into thin air, and nothing is left only master and servant: one trying to get the largest possible amount of work done for the smallestpossiblepecuniary outlay; the other not infrequently doing as little work as he can for the largest sum that he possibly can extract from his employer. This is unquestionably the exact position of Capital and Labor, and nothing but strife could result from such opposite interests.

So far we have unreservedly sympathised with Labor, and we are not going to forsake it now. But in our opinion discussions on the subject should, under existing circumstances, be conducted in a calm, dispassionate, and judicial manner. The present is not the time for intense partisanship. It is the time for all lovers of law and order to endeavor to make peace, and to keep a check-rem on both parties as far as possible. Labor may say that it asked nothing unreasonable. It may be so, and we believe that people do not begrudge it the reward it has succeeded in securing. It is not with its demands the fault is found, but with the power and the dimensions it has assumed; It'was getting too strong and it has seemed expedient to crush it. It may he said that hitherto it has not abused its power in this colony, whatever it may have done elsewhere, but in oiir opinion it tried to do too much all at once. The h r ®t thing Labor ought to do is to try to realise the feeling of Capital on becoming conscious of its waning power. It is only natural that Capital should be exceedingly angry at losing the power it has held from prehistoric times, and Labor ought to allow for it and put up patiently with rebuffs from such a source. A bright and glorious dawn is breaking, with the beajitifq. beams of education and universal freedom, letting, in the rays ©flight on many things which hitherto been obscured by/the Polling darkness, and surely with such brilliant prospects in view Labor can bear calmly and quietly and patiently this natural exhibition of anger on the part of Capital. Boforaaa eaunot be

effected in a day, and it is not desirable that they should. Hurried reforms result in evil. The world must be educated to utilise them to advantage. The policy of Labor ought to be to inspire Capital with confidence in its sense of justice and fair play, and in every possible way to endeavor to show that it can be more useful as a contented partner than a dissatisfied servant. In this way "it would gradually educate Capital to realise that without Labor it could not exist, We have on previous occasions expressed the greatest admiration for the Maritime Council, Hitherto its conduct has been characterised by great moderation and good sense, but we really cannot understand its more recent action. Both the Otago Daily Times and the Dunedin Star, which are published at the headquarters of both the Union S.S. Company add the Maritime Council, say they do not understand the cause of the 'strike yet, and the Editor of the Outlook column of' the first-named paper, calls on his readers to suspend judgment oh the matter until the truth becomes known. W e can Only say the same thing. To us the strike appears very foolish at present, but doubtless both parties to the quarrel feel they have good grounds fer it. It is a serious matter ; it will cause a great deal of distress and destitution, and whoever wins will be a loser by it. Capital may win this battle, but how long will ic enjoy the victory? A few vears —perhaps months—and the very “ free labor ” it is taking to its bosom now will then be unionists, ready to fight the battle over again. And let it be remembered, to®, that the unions of the future are likely to profit by the mistakes and'blunders of the present, and will prepare themselves better than they have done now. , In fighting the battle, therefore, Capital can only expect to stave off the evil day, while it will destroy and squander in this struggle far more than it will gain by it. It is doubtless no use to tender advice now, the battle is ragieg and will he fought out, but we sincerely trust that when it comes to an end and both sides have : cooled doym they will try to find out some means of setting 1 their differences in a way that will not inflict hardships on friends and foes alike. !;

THE RAILWAY. Whatetbe may be said of the Union Shipping Company, or other employers of labor we think that no one will approve of the part played by the Railway Commissioners in the present quarrel. They are evidently trying to force the men to strike, whether they like it or not. The Commissioners know that their supply of coal is small, and that in a short time they will be compelled to shut up the railways at any rate. They are, therefore, aiming at forcing the men to strike, so as to discredit them in the eyes of the public. It is absolutely certain that this is what the Commissioners are aiming at, and we warn the railway men to beware of the trap which is being laid for them. Our advice to them is to stick to their posts, and if the trains cease running they cannot be blamed for it. They ought, and,so ought all unionists for that matter/ always avoid running contrary, to public opinion as far as possible. Public opinion is the great regulator, and the final arbiter iu all disputes, it is above Parliament, above Governments, and above everything, and those who offend its moral sense will not fare very well in the end. Let the railway servants stick to their work in the present trying and critical times, and if on any future occasion a necessity for any decided line of action arises they will find that public opinion will not forget it for them. Besides, they cah do more good by remaining at work than by striking, as they will be earning money which will enable them to' assist their brethren in distress. If people generally took our advice they would refrain from taking sides in the present dispute. What all men 5 who have the good of the colony at heart ought to do is to discountenance both the capitalists and laborers, for without doubt there is unnecessary wantonness on both sides. It is alleged' that fanners are offering their teams andtheir workmen to assist the capitalists, but we would like to ask them : D® they know what they are doing ? They are simply helping to prolong the trouble ' "What every sensible man ought to do is to frown down the whole thing, and try to make peace, but if instead of that people takb sides, and keep up the excitement, the result may be* very serious. The whqle tjroqble in- Timaru is that the employers will 4,6$ e dge the unions. It is, in 6'ur bpihibu, a great blunder, and before the struggle is oyer, it will be found .that the employers will regret it. It is a great pity that those in authority do hot take steps to make peace. .