Labour and Capital.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19109, 19 September 1927, Page 8

Labour and Capital.

It is ail iiikteutitiya gtedif tif irony that tie letter which Mr j. H. Thomas has issued to members of his union asking tbeffi t6 cd-operMe with the compaiiifcs . ifi jfiftffiriflfog the efficiency of the railway services should he regarded as an event, or should even be considered remarkable Thitt it fchoiild be so regarded. siotpsi how widfe thS division is between Labour and Capital in some iildtiStries,- atid how defcp are the susficiohs of the eitreinist. ¥he interests of Labour and Capital are iden- > tleal in that both suffer /from s the failure if the management is inefficient or if the workers do not give their best. In both cases the business is put in jienl, fihd if it fails the capitalist loses his money and the worker his job. This is disffessingly eleirientary,' add yet it is by no means universally accepted., There are taMy Workers who refuse to see, or are unable to that if the capitalist suffers they suffer with him. To them the capitalist is the enemy who must be destroyed before the worker daH obteiii freedom and justice. Ml* Thom&s of course does not believe this. He belongs to the Labour Piirty aad represents well the old-fashioiifed type of trade union secretary, but his real affiliations are more Liberal than | Labour* Perhaps he still ia a vflgtte sort of way subscribes to Soeialifiiii as the Ultimate good of the Pdrty, but as aft attainment-that is indefinitely far o&i Se is essentially, like lhafiy of his a moderate and a practical mad whose common seflse teaches hiid thatitis not only idle to cry for the biooii, but perilous. The lifle of cleavage in the Party is here between those who, like Mr Thomas, would adapt trade unionism to existing conditions, and those who would smash the existing system in a firm belief that they could build something better on the riiins; It is a happy cii'flumstance tMt Mr Tbomas is in a position wliich pectidiarly fits him to play a prominent part in keeping and extending peace iii industry* i Hid. uniSn. is a lstfge one/ aild kefejfs 6- The urilon aftefAJfiffligte Ifistto&fttf-tf&fa

has won itself recognition by the companies, and is party to an important system of settling disputes. Scarcely a single question arises in the course of railway employment, says Mr Thomas, which may not be freely discussed between the management and representatives of the men. The railway companies, on the other hand, have to meet increasing competition by 'road, and it is greatly to their interest, not only that there should be no strikes, but that the men should do their utmost to make the services economical and efficient. They will heartily applaud Mr Thomas's appeal to his unionists to co-operate with them. Mr Thomas's contention that co-operation would " not be inconsistent with sound " trade union principles " will of course be branded in some quarters as treachery to the Labour movement, but he will be quite prepared for that. He can find near at home plenty of illustrations of the folly of war in industry, and if he wants others he can travel, mentally, on our side of the world. The recent trouble in Queensland is a striking example. Labour was defeated and lost in wages what <iannot be computed. The stoppage of the railway services set citizens to make greater use of the-roads, and now that the strike is over the railways will not Carry so much traffic as before. That the Queensland railways are owned by the State makes the example more potent for Mr Thomas's purpose, but it does not affect the principle involved. Capital and Labour are partners, and if either fails to pull his full weight in {lie boat the partnership suffers. A hearty response to Mr Thomas's appeal would be the best industrial news we. could get from England.