The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February 25, 1949. TELLING THE WORKERS

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1949, Page 4

The Grey River Argus FRIDAY, February 25, 1949. TELLING THE WORKERS

IT is bad enough to have visitors from oversea attempting both to patronise and castigate New ea landers regarding their allegec tren'cl towards social, educational and economic uniformity, but it is becoming a bore when the Leader of the Opposition again repeats his Party’s admonition to the workers that the better then, pay may be the worse oft' they will be. it almost appears as it he counts upon strangers dot to “i’s” and cross the <; t’s ot the capitalistic thesis for him before they depart. One educator savs that guaranteed high wages, the five day week, disregard of claims other than seniority to high posts; reduction of private enterprise, and of financial and other incentives to strenuous industry are complaints he has heard during his stay. Another visitor, a scientist, says the publie does not honour scientists and their doings sufficiently. On top of this Mr Holland says that the State is by taxation rendering wages increases worse than useless. H might therefore be imagined that this would be about the worst place on earth, 'whereas the visitors should know well enough that the living standard and social security of the population generally is superior to that in their own respective territories. Likewise j\lr Holland carefull} refrains from making any coin parisons between the Dominion and other countries regarding the social and economic status of the community. The inhibition of all of these critics is manifestly capitalistic. They evidently cannot envisage even the possibility of a new country working out a genuine economic democracy, but are preoccupied with the idea that society must be differentiated in the same extreme degree, as in so many other countries has led to the insecurity and uncertainty of the present day. It is notorious that these critics, whose complaints focus upon the Dominion’s working class, scout the principle of applying to others the same recommendations as they offer the 'workers. Nobody tells traders or employers that they ought not exploit labour by raising prices in such a way as to lend colour to Mr Holland’s argument that wage increases only lower the standard of living. The only conclusion left to be drawn is that if the workers do not , choose to give more for less in the. way of production, the whole 1 country will fall into the soup. 1 His argument puts the keystone on the contention of a Labour organisation that the Price Tri- • bunal should be rendered more effectual in checking price rises The cost of living increase is invariably interpreted by the National Party as almost entirely a matter of wages inflation, with allusions to taxation, especially for social security, as the rest of the explanation. Nothing is said, for instance, of stocks being held back so as to keep prices up. If prices do, in fact, increase faster than wages, there must be exploitation, and the reason is simply that capitalists bargain all the time to keep the workers as nearly as possible to subsistence level. If workers may, in some instances, be misled by those who advocate very large wage increases, the reason why they are so susceptible is that they know-capitalists need no persuasion to exact the utmost that the market will afford. If traders, as Mr Holland says, raise prices 30s for every wages increase of 20s, why does not the contrary hold when wages decline? The extent that a decrease in. wages and employment may lower prices is determined entirely by what vendors can exact, and a depression starts every time in | a decrease of purchasing power on the part of the worker. Finally, the National Party shies at the logical conclusion of its own assertion —that if wages fell 20s, prices must fall 30s. The complaint about taxation ignores the Fact that if the proceeds are substantia! the taxable capacity, is likewise. It is hard to escape the conclusion fthat the bugbear of the capitalists in this country is the policy .of social security.