The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1925. LABOUR'S RESPONSE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 65, 18 March 1925, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 1925. LABOUR'S RESPONSE.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong ihat -needs resistance, For ihe future in the distance, And the good ihat tec can Ao. , . I

The immediate response by British j Labour to Jlr. Baldwin's appeal for a | settlement by consent of differences i between capital and labour will disappoint many, but it is really not surprising. Labour is .suspicious of advances from what it calls the other ', side. One may think it over-suspicious, ' but the feeling is there, and it has ' some justification. As speeches by ! Labour leaders in our cable news show, Labour feara that such a settlement would mean depression of wages and worsening' of conditions. Jt lias had to fight hard to get wages raised and conditions improved, and it believes that if it does not guard its gains vigilantly they may be taken away. The weakness of tins attitude is that Labour does not sufficiently realise that Labour and Capital are complementary, and that an injury to one is an injury to the other; also it ignores the effect of this perennial Labour-Capital war on the country's competition with foreigners. Capital, on the other hand, docs not yet understand how much justification the wageearner has for objecting not only to many of th* methods of Capital, but to, the conditions under which he is so often compelled to work and live. Hence the reply to Mr. Baldwin by one of the leaders of the moderate Labour wing, Mr. Clynes, that harmony can be procured at a price whi *i includes a decent standard of living and security in work. There are, however, men in the Labour movement who are in a greater hurry than Mr. Clynes, and it is from them that the determined opposition to any compromise agreement will come. They want Socialism undiluted, and they want it at once. It is certain, however, that if Socialism ever comes in England it will come gradually. Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald • has admitted as much, and has j even suggested that less use be made ;of the word "Socialism."' In the meantime there are wrongs to be righted, numerous improvements to be made in social and economic conditions. Is the worker to fold his arms and say he will have all or nothing, that failing the achievement of Socialism he will be a party to no agreement with the employers for improvement of national conditions, and will do nothing to help himself through Labour enterprise in the employment of capital? The English genius in life is for finding a practicaJ middle-course way; is the conflict between Capital and Labour going to provide an exception? Such a conference as Mr. Baldwin has in mind would at least do something to remove ignorance and prejudice. Some workers would he made to realise that high wages are not everything; that their position mifrht be better under a system of lower wages, regular work, and lower cost of living. The employer, on ! the other hand, could be got to see the I Labour point of view about housing and unemployment, and he might even be persuaded to look more kindly upon the proposal to limit profits. We may expect the idea of a mutual agreement to be pressed by enlightened Conservatives, of whom there are an increasing number in Mr. Baldwin's following, men and women who are profoundly dissatisfied with things as they are, but who cannot accept the official Labour remedy of Socialism.