ROBERT OWEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 189, 15 July 1925, Page 10

ROBERT OWEN

W.E.A. LECTURE. Mr D. W. Low ’ presided at last night’s W.E.A. university extension lecture, given, as usual, at i'recman'.s 'lea Kooms, the (Square, Mr Low highly praised the work which was being none in. connection with the W.E.A. tcheme.

The subject which the lecturer (Mr A. Ernest Mander) had chosen fur the evening, was “Robert Owen,” one of the outstanding figures »1 the industrial revolution in lir .11. The lecturer began by descriuiiig tiie appalling conditions in Britain Horn 150 to 100 years ago, conditions produced by -the rapidity of the grwth of .'.'industrialism, following upon the inventions of" industrial machinery and the harnessing of water and steam power. The conditions under which the workers lived—in their new, raw, teeming industrial towns—were squalid and disgusting. In .tile factories and mills the hours of labour were normally 14, but .often 16 a day; and children, from the ago of six or seven Were employed, frequently for 111 hours a day or more. .Robert Owen was bom- in 1771; in a village in Wales. At the age of 18 he borrowed £IOO and started (with a partner)' a' small cotton mill. He me.t with very great success,, and at the a;ge of 30 purchased sofno very large mills at New Lanark, on the Clyde. For the next fifteen years Robert Owen devoted himself to the twin tasks of making his new undertaking a financial success, and improving the conditions under which his workpeople lived and worked. After 15 years of unceasing struggle he succeeded in transforming New Lanark from the ordinary sort of little industrial hell into a “model town” with a model population. • ■ - He accomplished this by exercising a paternal autocracy, reforming the people and their conditions of life, despite their own resentful opposition. Homs of labour were reduced; a drainage system was installed; official visitors Went into the homes of the people and insisted upon their, being kept clean and wholesome. Then Owen tackled other evils, and in 15 years converted tlie population into a healthy, happy and sober people. Interest on capital was limited to 5 per cent, but, instead of increasing wages (which the workers would have been unable to spend, wisely) Robert Owen himself used the surplus profits of the firm to improve the town, to establish schools, to build lecture balls and recreation rooms, to subsidise a sick-benefit fund, and so forth. The attention of the whole of Europe was focussed upon the striking results obtained by Owen at New Lanark. Hundreds of eminent and influential people visited the town and were full of praise for it. A huge propaganda, was started; and for awhile it looked as though the comfortable classes of Britain were, really awaking to a sense of responsibility for the horrible conditions that ruled in the industrial areas. Tho vested interests proved too strong however.;' It was discovered that Robert 'Owen was unorthodox in his religious belief?) and this fact was used to swing’tile “■‘conscience” of Britain against him and his 'schemes. The “New Lanark” chapter was'only the first in the long story Of Robert Owen’s work for humanity. He attempted to establish another model industrial town in America; but this failed—largely because it was run on Democratic lines, instead of being subject, as New Lanark was, to a paternal atito-

cracy. Later, Owen started the co-operative movement: and hundreds of consumers’ co-operative stores were opened. All these earliest societies failed; but they, prepared the ground for the second movement, which began with the formation of the Rochdale Society 15 years later. Subsequently, Owen launched the first national trade union—which soon possessed half-a-million members. But this was crushed by the Government. At the age of 70, Robert Owen was active in starting ethical societies, and jn opening lecture halls all over the country. Even at 80 he was still as energetic and enthusiastic as ever, brimming over with schemes for the betterment of the people. Then at 83 he retired to his native village in Wales, and very quietly and peacefully he d ; ed.

- Mr Mander’s subject next Tuesday will be Bismarck. Visitors will he cordially welcome.