INDUSIRIAL WELFARE

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 13

INDUSIRIAL WELFARE

ONLY REMEDIAL COURSE

SOUND ECONOMIC KNOWLEDGE

REMARKS OF MR. C. P.

SKERRETT.

Mr. 0. P. Skerrett, K.C., delivered an address to members of the Welfare League yesterday afternoon. He referred to the recent General Election 1 and the set-back received by the Labour Party, largely, he held, on account of the distrust of its leaders and of the extremist nature of some of the planks in its platform. Dealing with other aspects oE the situation',, •

Mr. Skerrett said

"I ask you: What is the general mental attitude of workers in New Zealand towards their employers—l am referring chiefly to the unskilled worker ? I put it to you that- that attitude is, gen; erally speaking, amongst the unskilled worker; a general indifference to theY interests of his employer; a'general tendency to do as little as he possibly can, and to look with approval upon the fellow-worker who shirks and does as little as he can in a day's work.

"One cannot help feeling that . the conditions now existing make ■ labour, generally owing to tho influence' of the extremists' riiinds antagonistic to all service and to better relations between the employers and workers in this country.

"Now I want to call your attention to' a very significant fact. Cast your ■minds back to the strikes which have dislocated business in New Zealand for .some years past. There have been strikes of unskilled or only partiallyskilled men. The skilled man, the, master of his trade, has not entered into strikes, has not entered into irritation tactics,'but has pursued with great moderation and discernment the even tenor of his way. Do you believe that the difference is between the unskilled and the skilled man? I do |not think so. I believe the difference is between ignorance and knowledge, between the valour of rashness and ignorance, and the sensibility of thought and moderation of conduct of the knowledgeable man.

ESSENTIAL BASIS OF REFORM

; "And this brings me to what appears to me to be the only remedial course. I believe that'the essential basis of any future reform for any betterment of the relations between -labour and capital must be a wide diffusion amongst the working classes of sound ._ economic knowledge and sound appreciation of what is truly in their own interests. "It ia essential, I believe, if we. are to do any good that we should discredit amongst; the workers themselves the; 'doctrines of those extremists which are' only leading them,to destruction ' and ruin. Some effort must be. made, if reform 'is -to-be had, to teach the workers 'that reduction of efficiency, is the high road to reduction of. wages, to increased cost of living, and to uncomfortable conditions in life; to teach them, that-their 'Ayelfare and happiness 'are bound up with the interests of the industry in which they are concerned; and that their best interests point ,to negotiation, and discussion of all the problems'' and difficulties' with ; the- employers, and not by revolutionary strikes, irritation, and annojfances. "We must also, I submit, teach the employer that.; in these ; modern days there is no place in the sun for the inefficient and wasteful manufacturer and employer; that the conditions of life bind him as a duty.to his class and to the country generally ■to. use the most efficient machinery, to use all that system and efficiency which ia now coming into being for the purpose of providing as much as his factory or his store is capable of. I believe; ,ladies and gentlemen, that this education must precede any successful scheme for the amelioration of the conditions between Labour .and Capital.. And I want to congratulate Mr. Shailer Weston, president of the. Employers': Association, for his proposal for a conference on the subject. ■ I believe such conferences will do a great deal of good in.diffusing knowledge from one side to the other on the real aims and purposes they respectively have in the struggle now

going on.

SUCCESS OF THE LEAGUE

"Without trumpet-blowing on behalf of the league, I think members can look back with complacency on tho succesi of the' league—a success which I' am authorised by the executive to say is largely duo to tho efforts of the princi-' rial officers of the league. Their zeal, attention, and ■ assiduity is beyond all praise. Their work has been "a labour of love, and they have brought to it not only great, talents,'but an expert knowledge of the'; relationship between worker and: employer. ■ : ■The leaguei has'been excellently supported, but, of course, as the chairman has said, -we have hat* some discouragement,, but only by the uninformed. Undisturbed, ladies and gentlemen, by these jeremiads, we have gone on the even or tho uneven-tenor of. our way. We have published a constant stream of propaganda matter, as useful and, informative and as good as has-been published on similar subjects' in any part of the world. The propaganda Has been copied in other parts of the country, and at the present moment'is being extensively used in the Commonwealth ( of Australia. There are characteristics of propaganda if it is to- be successful. It must be true, and it must be attractive and interesting, both in form and matter. I congratulate very sincerely the officers /of the league on their success in "their propaganda.

THE RED DANGER

■''There are two things that I think the league might well take credit for. The first is that its propaganda and its work has created the existing public ro» cognition of the Red. danger to New Zealand, and its people; and, secondly, it" has stimulated and encouraged interest in the people in public affairs, and has made people who never thought of public affairs, think about them, and think about them seriously., "I, agree with the chairman that we must be as vigilant as ever. Although the New Zealand Labour Party has lost four seats, there has-been no retrogression in the., number of votes which they polled. , Remember that they hold the principal'city seats. They hold five' in Auckland, four in Christchureh, and two- in Wellington—eleven seats altogether. • . .

"Let us, therefore, continue this useful organisation, and let ua give it the aid of our services. We have put our hands to the plough. Let ua not draw back. Let us proceed, knowing that our motives are pure and altruistic; that wo attack no class or section of the community unless that class or; section of th§'.community.; has activities which are detrimental to the welfare of the country. (Applause.) We are working, .rl

believe, zealously, honestly, and sincerely in the interests of the public generally. . .......-• "May I conclude by thanking the Press of New Zealand for its sympathy and encouragements with all the work of the league. Without that aid, the activities of the league would have been very much restricted. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your attendance here to-day. (Applause.) A hearty vote of thanks to Mr. Skerrett for his address was carried by acclamation