Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, MAY 9th., 1936. INDUSTRIAL WELFARE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 May 1936, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE SATURDAY, MAY 9th., 1936. INDUSTRIAL WELFARE.

J7MPLOYERS have a l remendons power for good—or evil, and, sometimes, it appears doubtful, if this is sufficiently realised. Any man, or firm, who insists on a fair wage for services rendered, and for whom it is a pleasure to work, owing to the reasonable consideration forthcoming, does immense service to the community in general, as well as tp his own employees. Had he “the giftie given to see himself

as others'see him,” he would find cause for pardonable gratification, and the pleasure, thus derived, would be more remunerative than any percentage of monetary profit. On the other hand, if he is careless about the material welfare of those for whom he is really responsible. he is the indirect cause of much worry and hardship, and he is not to be envied.

The foregoing may be a truism. To the credit of many New Zealand employers, it may be said that they have a real desire to play the game, and give a fair deal all round. This does not mean that they do, or should, accede to every demand by the employees, but efforts should be made to remedy any well-founded grievances. It is with the desire to help the good employer, as well as the good employee, that the Labour Government’s Bill to strengthen the In- 1 dustrial Conciliation and Arbitra-!

tion system, has been iutrodueed, and the proposals deserve fairminded consideration. Some of the suggestions may go too far, and may not be practicable in actual working, but the general aim is worthy of support, meanwhile. New Zealand is an expensive country Io reside in, the high taxation and other factors affecting the cost of living to the extent, that a worker has to be economical, indeed, to have any credit balance at the end of the year, particularly when he has a family, or other dependents.

It is absurd to infer, as some do, that all the virtues are on the side of the employed; these have their failings and.’on occasion, are responsible for their own difficulties. A perfect industrial system has yet to be evolved, but goodwill is contagions, and nothing is more mutually remunerative. Ex-Dean Inge recently stated: —“Wars between nations are an obvious anachronism. 1 wish I were sure they will not be followed by civil wars between classes. Of course, Christianity would provide a cure; but we have known about Christianity for nearly two thousand years, and have never tried it .vet.” “What is Christianity?” might ask a jesting employer. Where the industrial system is concerned, it means the observance of the golden rule to do unto others as you would 1 hey should do unto you. Admittedly, the fair employer meets difficulty in maintaining such standard when a. business competitor takes advantage of capitalistic powet, and in this connection it is interesting to note Mr. Armstrong’s (Labour Minister) statement in the House, that it might be possible to arrange some form of preference to a union of “good” employers. Certainly, this class deserves national support, and could they come into their own. and “bad” employers become little more than an unpleasant memory. New Zealand would be indeed, a happy land, and “God’s Own Country,” to an extent not yet achieved. Meanwhile, in these days of industrial transition it is the duty, as well as in the material interest, of every employer to consider if he ranks with the best, an ideal nearly all claim, but some with inadequate attainment.