LABOUR AND CAPITAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 102, 28 October 1919, Page 8

LABOUR AND CAPITAL

TO THE EDITOR,

Sir, —In a, letter in your issue of the 25th instant, F. J. Ryder says: "Lot us see if thousands cannot be found that will be willing to join a union which will be pledged to help one and all to attain an ideal in life which has never been attempted before, and with nothing impossible about it."

. This is the spirit we must have if we are to escape, from, the present unrest, but to succeed the members of such n union must know their work. This means that those in each occupation who have this spirit must first get together in that occupation and appoint delegates to a joint conference. Only thus may we have in national ittdustry what we have in our national games —namely, control of enterprise by people who have both practical experience and the respect and confidence of those employed in that enterprise. .

If. people will but open their minds to the meaning of what is now happening among us, they will find evidence of a desire for such a movement among all sections of our eornmunity. For instance, in the. House of Representatives on the 17th instant, Messrs. P. Fraser and .R. Sempje induced Mr. Massey to agrue that it was dosirable -to call a meeting of employers and workers in the building trade, with the view to having the available building labour and materials ascertained and organised on the basis that the essential needs, in buildings, of all people, should be provided before unessentials for anyone. It will be found that, owing to the interlocking of the difforent branchos of industry, it is practically impossible to thus organise the building service unless all other essential - industries are organised at the same time. If, however, a majority of the people in those industries have the spirit of your correspondent, then it would not be difficult for <2ach industry to ascertain and organise iti own labour and' materials, and the organisation of all_ at the same, time would help the organisation of each. An essential part of this organisation is an agreement botween capital and labour as to the division of the/ proceeds of industry/ but a sound basis of agreement ou this point has already been-suggested by Mr. H. Holder, managing director of Messrs. Ellis and Burnand, Ltd., Hamilton; who points out that the cause of unrest >lies largely in. the fact-that at present the share of labour is limited, arid the share of capital unlimited. He rightly points out that this is an unnatural division, since the purpose of enterprise is human development, , not thc_ development of , property, nd _ says ' tht if we want harmony this division must be altered ao that the share of capital, is limited and that of labour unlimited, whereby capital (i.e., our .savings in' property) is made more secure and labour is given a greater' inducement to enterprise. _ ■ ;. A further illustration may be seen in the Forestry Department, where the pre-: sent Minister has had the vision and' courage to see the timber industry as one national concern, and stand up to the local bodie3 and individual interests that sought to. make their separate purposes the dominant consideration. He has. seen the .necessity for tho individual conforming to the general aim of the body, as we are taught to do in cricket and football—whereby the individual best promotes his own greatness—and, when the; dust arising, from his conflict with; separate^ aims has • subsided, it will be found; that a great national body has been born, which, organised by our best practical experience, will, make for great economy and. efficiency in the timber industry. ■ ♦ Contrast this policy with" that of tho Minister for Public Wdrks, who declines to make the terms of labour at o"ur hydroelectric .works so attractive that they will draw men away from individual enterprises; so that we have this great national work, the natural power and light and heat basis of our whole enterprise, made subservient to the interests of individual sections of that enterprise. Jt is obvious that under the method of organisation upon which . Mr. Massey and Messrs. P Fraser'arid* Semple are agreed the needs in labour of all branches of enterprise would be ascertained by exports and adjusted, in their projjer order of priority ,in the national interest. 'Take, again, our housing policy. Millions of money have been set aside for an immediate building programme, and permanent buildings in concrete are advocated. But, as Professor Mackenzie points out in the same issue of the Post, there are great numbers of people unnecessarily employed in our towns., who could be profitably employed in the country under a properly organised national programme which would make-the conditions of country occupations attractive '■ to our people.. If, however, we are to take large numbers of. people from the towns to the country, why build a groat number of new permanent dwellings in the towns? .1 hope, Sir, you will see your way to commend F. J. Ryder's suggestion to your, readers. It is based upon the law of the universe as. taught b™ Jesus, who had but one rule for religion, morality, education, business, or pleasure, namely, help' one .another .by ascertaining and supplying' one another's, natural requirements, whereby each secures an everwidening life. Until we realise that .this, teaching was intended for everyday use by common people, and go to it whenever •we are in difficulties of every kind, we will be missing a wondeTfuL store- of power and happiness that it makes available to us, —I am, etc, ■ \ ■ ■ F, G. DALZIELL. 27th October. , ' ... • ;

, ' TO THE«EDITOIt. Sir,—Under the abova heading1 you publish an admirable letter by F, J. Ryder, full of common-sense and good advice; but, strange to say, omitting any reference to land as a factor in the production of wealth. Now, as neither Labour nor Capital could exist without land, it is self-evident that the latter is the only_ real factor in production,. and I think it is up to your correspondent to give; us a further contribution on the subject.—l am, Ct°" ' COSMIAN, 26th October.