UNEMPLOYMENT AND DESTITUTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21361, 15 June 1931, Page 10

UNEMPLOYMENT AND DESTITUTION

TO THE EDITOR f Sir, —The letter contributed by the Rev. William W. MacArthur comes from a quarter that seldom militantly forces its opinions into the political arena. Christianity truly, as its Founder proclaims, is the message of peace and goodwill to the whole human race, but Christianity is also, by the will of God, the power that creates a conflict between right and wrong. “I come not to bring peace, but ‘a sword,” said Jesus, “to set father against son, and mother against daughter.” And how truly the historical progress of Christianity amply fulfils Christ spoke not only metaphorically, but literally, when alluding to the sword as the symbol of death and the- weapon employed by a mundane and material-minded people. Encroachment on the boundary of your neighbour’s property is the certain prelude to hostility which no man can escape if the aggression proves unjust. It is the law of God that there can be no peace where there is no justice, and equally true that there can be no justice where there is no spiritual conception of truth and righteousness. But more than this is required. Righteousness must be defined because it deals with activities inseparable from human associations in a material world—a material world engrossed in the material production of necessary commodities, necessary to sustain human life because God has decreed it. It is no whim of the human mind that material wealth is the product of “ labour,” but the whim of the human mind determines , how the product of labour 'is to be shared among those who produce it, and this theme forms the subject of Mr Ma r Arthur’s very skilful presentation. The world is in distress and want in the midst of plenty—a singular but perplexing paradox, and one about which a truly Christian mind is deeply concerned. It is perplexing to the Christian because the subject requires technical and scientific knowledge not found in the Scriptures. which yet enjoins upon the Christian the duty, as a member of the Church, to devote his life to the service of God in establishing His Kingdom on earth. Christ Himself explained the cause of the perplexity when He said, “ When the

blind lead the blind they both stumble in the ditch.” We are in distress because we are spiritually blind to the law that governs an equitable distribution of wealth and ignore its oyer-ruling power that manifests itself in distress, inequality, and unemployment. If distribution were based on equity, then everyone would receive remuneration in proportion to the service rendered. This is determined in the process of appraising . value expressed in terms of £, s. d. But underlying all monetary transactions is ever present the question of equity manifested in value, which is a quality distinct from price. In this one word “ equity ” lies the crux of the problem, and not, as Mr Neilson persistently and erroneously on behalf of the Socialists proclaims, in “ profit.” We are all compelled to work for profit in order to avoid loss. Profit is not only an incentive to work. It is also the product of work, and, therefore, forms the foundation upon which rest the claims of labour in demanding an equitable remuneration. The absurdity of Mr Neilson’s claim that “ profit also incidentally carries with it private ownership and control,” and for that reason must be abolished, is manifest from the fact that every department owned and controlled by the State lias failed to show a profit except the State fire insurance department. Mr Neilson persistently shuts his eyes to the fact that the Dominion’s present financial predicament arises solely from State borrowing for the purpose of promoting State enterprise. As a result of the loss upon this the workers are now compelled to, submit to a reduction in their wages in order to repay bondholders’ loans with accruing interest. The evil from which the workers suffer is caused by maladministration in conjunction with public borrowing and not from private ownership. The problem of an equitable distribution of wealth does not imply, an equal distribution because the service rendered by each individual differs in value in proportion to efficiency displayed. Personal efficiency constitutes personal capital, the most important of all elements in production and the source from which all increase in wealth has its Efficiency, being a purely personal quality, has, therefore, no direct relation to owner- s ship of either land or fixed capital, .as ! the owners of these properties have po ‘ power to appraise or fix the value and rate of wages to ,-be paid for labour. v This. function falls entirely within tne scope of finance, and finance as at present conducted is exclusively concerned with artificially expanding the margin of profit counted in pounds, shillings, and pence accruing from the price of commodities sold in the market. ■ These take no consideration of either equity or ‘ monetary value when submitted for sale. In this sphere the spirit of commercialism rules supreme. >To buy cheap and to sell'dear is the only possible method by which money can be made in commerce. Financial tactics consist, there-, fore, in reducing the cost of production —that is the wages of labour —to the minimum, of subsistence by force of necessity, in order to obtain the widest margin of profit from the price paid by the consumer. In this process the gold standard is supposed to act as a stabilising factor of prices. We certainly, have no evidence of its having done this, and the reason for , it remains yet to be explained.—l am, etc., 1 W. SIVEBTSEN.