THE REAL SUFFERERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 24 February 1920, Page 5

THE REAL SUFFERERS

FROM THE “GO-SLOW*”

CASE FOE MIDDLE CLASS.

WELFARE LEAGUE’S AIM.

(Per Press Association.)

WELLINGTON, This Day

Mr W. S. Skerrett, m the course of an address to the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association last night, emphasised the fact that politically the Welfare League was strictly non-party. It originated to wake up the average man to take an interest and active part in public affairs and to get sound men into Parliament regardless of party, who would place national before party interests. At the last election the League aimed at preventing the return of revolutionary Socialists. It supported Reform, Liberal and Independent Labour candidates. Its only pledge was that a,candidate would not support a Government holding office by revolutionary vote. Since the election the League had been conducting a publicity campaign, bringing before the public the truth about the industrial position. To avoid a financial crisis and unemployment the country must increase production. It was necessary that worker and employer should cooperate, the worker receiving better conditions and some controlling' share in the industry. The worker must give corresponding production in return. Instead of increased production and co-opera-tion the workers' and the employers of the country were faced with an organisation preaching class war, Labour against Capital, and urging members to demand higher wages, shorter hours, and less work. This would lead to national bankruptcy and unemployment. The worker would be the first to suffer.

The League was conducting a counter propaganda. Mr Skerrett emphasised that the League was the only association in New Zealand that was formed to further some particular interest, but with purely national aims, and had members of all parties, including Labour, in the League. He urged that strict inquiry should ho made into cases of profiteering, and prompt publicity shfluld be given, lie was'of opinion that the cost of articles due to profiteering was nothing compared to the rise due to the ‘W-o-slow” policy. Concluding, he stated that reconstruction was necessary, but until the worker sees the folly of revolutionary socialism it was impospossible to devise schemes for the improvement of the relationship of worker and employer. The League’s object was to watch developments in the interests of the middle public, which suffered whenever industrial trouble occurred.