Nation Before Party.

Progress, Volume XV, Issue 10, 1 June 1920, Page 818

Nation Before Party.

Objects of the Welfare League. Fighting Poisonous Propaganda Prom “Evening Post,” May24th. At the conference of newspaper proprietors las. evening; Mr. C. P. Skerett, President of the New Zealand Welfare League, attended on behalf of the League, to explain its objects. Pie emphasised the fact that politically the league was strictly nonparty ; that it was originated in order to wake up the average man, who formed the great backbone of the State, to take an interest and active part in public affairs. Its objects were to get sound men, never mind to what party they belonged, into the House, and if possible to bring into our political life a determination to place national before party interests. At the last election the league aimed at preventing the return of the Revolutionary Socialist member tied and bound to a party which had for its objective the socialisation of the means of distribution, production, and exchange, and it supported the best man in each case, whether Reform, Liberal, or Independent Labour. It had asked only one pledge, namely—that the selected candidate would undertake not to support any Government which held office by help of the Revolutionary vote.

Since the election the league had set out on a publicity campaign with the object of bringing before the public the true facts of the industrial position. Mr. Skerrett emphasised the fact that, in order to avoid a financial crisis, hard times and unemployment, they must increase production; he pointed out that to do this worker and employer must cooperate, the employer must remember that times had changed, he must not treat the worker as a mere cog in the machine, he must give the worker better conditions and also some share in the control of the industry in which he worked. The worker must remember that for better pay and conditions he must give corresponding work and production. It did not matter how high the wages if the production was forthcoming For the Public Good Alone. Mr. Skerrett warned his hearers that instead of increased production, instead of co-operation between worker and employer, the country was faced with an organisation preaching that the worker had nothing in common with the employers, that Labour must fight Capital, and, above all, urging its members to demand higher wages, shorter hours, and less work. Mr. Skerrett said this would lead to national bankruptcy and unemployment, in which ease the first to suffer would be the workers. Against this poisonous propaganda the League was fighting and carrying out a counter propaganda campaign to bring the dangers home to the public and to try and show the worker that his happiness and welfare were dependent oh the welfare of the Dominion, which again depended on greater production. Mr. Skerrett said that the League further aimed to make politicians place the national interests before party, and not, as in the past, to sacrifice them to political expediency. He further emphasised the fact that the League was the only association in New Zealand which had purely national aims, and that it was not formed to further or protect some particular sectional interest. It was out for the public good alone; it had members of all parties and several Labour men in its ranks. It intended to continue its campaign in the interests of the public and to fearlessly attack any move, whether by employers or workers, which would be detrimental to the public welfare. Folly of Revolutionary Socialism. Touching on profiteering, he said the League would urge a strict inquiry into all cases, and, above all, urge prompt publicity; but he ventured to say that the rise in the cost of living, due to profiteering, was nothing compared to the extra cost put on commodities by the go-slow tactics. The reconstruction was necessary, but he pointed out that until the worker saw the folly of revolutionary socialism, it would be impossible to devise any scheme for the betterment of the worker, and the improvement in the relationship between worker and employer. Trades unions were at present the most strenuous antagonists of any scheme for improving the status of the worker in relation to his employer, and only preached antagonism.

Concluding, Mr. Skerrett remarked that it was claimed by trades unions that the Government had no right to control and regulate combinations of labour while insisting that its duty was to control and regulate combinations of capital. The speaker could not accept that principle, as the public welfare might well require the control and supervision of organisation, whether they be of labour or capital. The League's object was to watch developments in the interests of the great middle public, which suffered whenever a clash occurred between these two forces.