PUBLIC OPINION PROPOSED INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10540, 17 March 1920, Page 7

PUBLIC OPINION

PROPOSED INDUSTRIAL CONFERENCE

(To the Editor "N.Z. Times.") Sir,—We have in New Zealand a Prime Minister whose declared policy is to. bring our people together in the common aim of national production. Wo have also a Now Zealand Welfare League composed, I understand, of some of our leaders in the national enterprise, and led by one who is admittedly unexcolled as an adviser and advocate in the adjustment of difficulties that arise in that enterprise. This League has offered its services to the public, aoid asked for public support in the definite and simple policy of letting the light into the practical operation of industry, with a view to tho development of a corporate'spirit in our'national enterprise; and in furtherance of this purpose it has suggested that a proposal made by the New Zealand Labour Unions should bo adopted; namely, that a National Industrial Conference, composed of employers and cmployees in every industry, should bo called to determine the principles upon which our national enterprise should ba conducted.

The essential question for determination at this conference would obviously bo whether we are to continuo our present system, under which each is forced to make his first consideration his individual profit, or are we to adopt tlio principlo of combining our resources in the common purpose of national production 60 that there may bo more to divide.

At its meeting last night the Industrial Association dealt with the proposal to hold this national conference, and obviously shirked the responsibility that lies upon i£ and all such bodies to-day. Judging from Press reports of the meeting, one of the main objections to the proposal was that the speakers could not see how the public could be adequately represented at tho conference. 'lt Is true that in its proposals as published tho Welfare League suggested that ths public (i.e., the consumer) should be specially represented at this conference, but both tho Lekgue and tho Industrial Association speakers seem to have overlooked the fact that if employers . and employees in all industries are represented it is unnecessary to have special, representation for tho consumers, because m respect of each industry the employera and employees in the other industries, and> their families, are the conBumeTs.'

May I point out that there are only two possible courses whereby the Prime Minister's policy of bringing us together for tho purpose of using our resources to the greatest advantage in national production, may he carried out. On© is the proposed national conference where the industrial policy can be laid down by our most trusted experts, and the other is by the arbitrary direction of Parliament) or tho Government; which means, of necessity, an inexperienced and therefore mischievous interference in the practical operation of our enterprise.

If such a conferei.ee can be brought abont the truth will emergo in it—that the main causo of social unrest is not the conflict of labour and capital, but tho far more wasteful conflict of the different industries and branches of industry with one another. Those employers and employees who oppose the holding of such a conference or who fail to help it, must obviously rest under the imputation that they prefer the polioy of individual self-inter-est to that of national production. «<.„,, F. G. DALZIELL, 114, The Terrace, March 17th.