CAPITAL AND LABOR.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6693, 29 September 1882, Page 2

CAPITAL AND LABOR.

We publish, by request, a synopsis of the lecture delivered by Dr. Newman, on Wednesday evening, before the members of the Working Man’s Club. The fact that we had no invitation to be present when the lecture was given, will account for no reference being mads thereto in our issue of yesterday. The lecturer said the question he wished to discuss was, whether the statement was true that during recent times the rich had grown richer, and the poor poorer. The proper way to study any political or social question was to trace its birth and parentage. Only 300 years ago slavery existed in England ; the poor lived is wattle huts, with mud floors covered with straw and filth. The fire was in the middle of ttic floor, with a hole in the roof, which let out the smoke and let in the rain. Later they had windows of oiled paper. The poor could not afford wheaten bread, but ate rye, barley, tares, lentils, acorns, and sometimes fern roots. Servants of the wealthy lay on straw, and generally had wooden blocks ifor their pillows. When pillo ivs of chaff were first introduced, men using them were ridiculed, and considered effeminate, as such luxuries were considered fit only for lying-in women. Laborers could not leave their parishes in search of work and higher wages. In Henry VIII.’s reign public works were introduced to give employment to the poor. Parish authorities gave work often in the most frivolous forms—namely, by wheeling out stones a mile, and of wheeling them back again, or by digging holes and filling them up again—in which they showed themselves nearly as wise as modern corporations. The wealthy, who alone were represented in Parliament, passed stringent laws, fixing the rate of wages very low. Later, however, the rise of colonisation and of manufacturers opened up wealth to vast numbers of the poor. Passing to the beginning of this century, the lecturer said slavery was abolished in 1799 in Scotland, But slavery existed practically in England till later days, because lawless press-gangs roamed the country kidnapping men and imprisoning them as the King’s servants in the army and navy, only to be released at the King’s pleasure. Laws against small debtors were frightfully severe on poor people. For a debt of a few pounds, or even a few shillings, people were imprisoned fir life; and we read with horror of a poor woman dying in gaol at the beginning of this century, after forty-five years’ imprisonment, for a debt of £l9 ; and even twenty years ago, in 1862, one Joe Miller was set free after forty-two years* imprisonment for a debt of a few pounds. Happily both these evils bad been abolished. Women and children were no longer allowed to slave in mines; children now went to school. As every child now is taught to read and write, all the prizes in wealth and society are open to the children of the poorest. Co-operation, the child of this cen-

turjj would do far more ia the future. Re* viewing statistics of pauperism, he quoted that 200 years ago two-thirda of the people were slaves—had no capital—were paupers. 200 years ago twenty per cent, were paupers. Xu 1841 the number fell to 7 5 per cent., and had gone on falling till in 1881 it had fallen to three per cent. With thrift and self-denial, all laborers would become capitalists. fi Labor ** was derived from a Sanskrit word Lahh t meaning to ee ; ze, get, or acquire ; therefore a laborer was a getter, or eeizer, or capitalist. Eighteen centuries ago it was pithily said “In all labor there ia profit/