CORRESPONDENCE

Evening Star, Issue 20118, 7 March 1929, Page 14

CORRESPONDENCE

UNEMPLOYMENT. ro THE EDITOB. Sir, —It is deeply interesting to some of us to be supplied with the declared opinions of a voluntary agent upon the acute distress which prevails to-day resulting from the want of work. While the foundation of his opinion may be built upon his own personal experiences, if viewed fi’om a economic standpoint the majority of his opinions, I am afraid, would be found to have very little relation to this evergreen question. Briefly we are told that the cause lies in the unsatisfactory results of the working man, repeated failures, growlers, limitation of apprentices, trade union secretaries. _ While these assumed evils may contain to a large degree the power of irritating those people whose lives are controlled and spurned on by the law of competition and gambling instincts which holds sway to-day in our system of wealth production, it is unreasonable to expect that those who have given any thought to tho question can believe that_ these have any effect upon the question of unemployment. If the _ community should demand that investigation must pursue the evidence until the original cause of unemployment was found, I imagine that more people would be found guilty in our banking associations and gamblers in the Stock Exchange than amongst the people who receive Is lOd per hour. There are two opinions expressed which may nave some bearing upon unemployment. The invention of modern machinery. If I am not mistaken machinery was designed for the purpose of saving labour. _ Why should human energy be wasted if we can utilise other natural forces instead? Surely no one would raise any serious objection to modern machinery doing the work instead of human beings. The only reasonable objection that can be made is that human beings shall not starve as a result of modern machinery. I am convinced in my humble opinion that distressing conditions will prevail around us until tho day dawns when machinery will be utilised for the welfare of all humanity, and not_ for the Curpose of wage saving and displacing uman beings. However, friction between employer and employee will continue just so long as we hold the crude idea that some people are sent into the world to march in subordination to those whom Nature has given extra ability and foresight and upon whom good fortune has smiled. When_ these people learn and begin to practise that the nobility of life consists not in the object of accumulating wealth, but in rendering service to their fellow-men, in the strong bearing the infirmities of the weak, only then shall we be marching in the ranks of progress. In conclusion, allow me to say that this undignified, deplorable state of affairs, of men tramping from day to day begging from their fellow-men the opportunity to work that they may live, wil 1 exist in our midst just so long as the spirit of individualism rules rampant.—l am, etc., R. Harrison. March 7. NON-STOP DANCING. TO THE EDITOB. Sir, —In your paper of February 18 I notice that Mr Gene Dort claims that Mr B. W. Tremaine danced 104 J hours, non-stop, at Invercargill, and is claiming the world’s non-stop dancing championship from Mr Bert Nicholl, who just completed _ 101 hours at Christchurch. As Bert Nicholl’s manager, I would like to state that Mr Niclioll still holds the world’s record by very many hours, and has instructed me to throw out a challenge that he will dance longer than anybody in New Zealand. Anybody accepting the challenge must start at the same time in tile same ballroom. During Mr Bert Nicholls’s 100 hours' dance at the Cafe Vedic, Dunedin, Mr Gene Dort was not his floor manager or assistant manager.—l am, etc.. Austin Petees. Christchurch, March 5. ST. KILDA BAND. TO TEE EDITOB. Sir,—-Replying to "Lover of Music,” whose letter appeared in your issue of yesterday’s date, suggesting an appearance of the St. Kilda Band, it may interest the public to know that the band has kindly consented to play at the Caledonan Grounds on the afternoon of March 16, in the interests of the Scout Week that is to be held, when the public will be given an opportunity of appreciating the quickstep and other items from the Wanganui band contest. —I am, etc., H. D, Tennent, Secretary, Boy Scouts’ .Week. March 7.