Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1919. LABOUR'S AIMS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XL, Issue 9146, 31 October 1919, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1919. LABOUR'S AIMS.

Mr T. Brindle's address at/tlie Theatre Royal, on the aims of tlie Labour Party, appears.to liave been framed on more conciliatory lines than has hitherto been general among Labour organisers, although he could not refrain fr ; om using the now obsolete gibe against the "capitalistic Press." Even the most Tory newspapers give considerable space to Labour speeches and views, whereas the Labour journals continue to refrain from giving due publicity to the speeches of their opponents. There were points in Mr BrindleV address that many of different political views would agree with in part, but even the workers would hesitate to claim a monopoly of virtue, and the "slavery" cry arouses little indignation, nowadays. Few can ddubt that there is an increasing desire on the part of employers to recognise that old methods and outlooks must give place to new, as the resolutions agreed to at the recent annual meeting of the Employers' Federation prove. Labour leaders will be stupidly blind to the workers' welfare if they persist in denying that the employers are desirous of. greater co-operation with the employed. Capital, for the most part, is offering to meet Labour half way, and the latters advisers should not be; reluctant to recognise this. It cannot be hoped that all cause for misunderstanding will be swept away immediately, nor perhaps are all employers and all employed working wholeheartedly for mutual benefit. " But the progress recently made is encouraging, and will be accelerated by generous admissions by each side of the other's good faith. What both sides have to fight against are the reactionaries, capitalistic and labour. The go-slow- policy, the sudden refusals to work, and other unreasonable attitudes adopted by some sections"of the workers do more | harm to their own class than to the wealthier portion of the community. Quite apart from the immediate injury to national industry, and the adding to the cost of. living, these childish challenges supply arguments . to support those employers who are opposed to granting concessions to employees, and also greatly handicap those who are striving to secure improved conditions for those in the industrial ranks. Labour's immediate aim should be to purge the party of those whose hotheadedness, or something worse, induces them to ignore their obligations'/the result would be to benefit the workers far beyond many speeches can.