CAPITALIST EXPLOITATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21981, 16 June 1933, Page 12

CAPITALIST EXPLOITATION

TO THE EDITOR.

. Sir, —Commencing at the end of the letter from “ Worker ” I may remark that the Labour Party will be needed just as long ns the devil has access to the earth. “ Worker ” labours the fact that he is a worker. Methinks he doth protest too much. But then “ aren’t we all? ” —even if we are overworked by golf and bridge. "Worker’s” allusion to the persecuting scoundrels of the Labour Party who apparently eat raw meat and go about reciting “Fe Fi Fo Fum,” is most amusing, but it is nice to have his assurance that, when his pocket conflicts with his principles, his pocket takes precedence.

I did not expect him to accept Sir R. Casement’s report. Some people-only believe what it suits them to believe. But the facts are that the report was laid before the British Parliament by Sir Edward Grey and was published by that body as a White Paper. “ Worker,” of course, would not dream of accepting a White Paper of the British Parliament as authentic unless it suited him. On the other hand he will believe any shadowy rumour to the detriment of the Labour Party. “Trifles light as air are to the bigoted confirmation strong as proofs of Holy writ.” The, White Paper stated that during a period of 11 years 4000 tons, of, rubber were obtaiped at a cost of 30,000 lives.

And now what about Africa? Mary Slessor says that the chief exports of the British capitalist to Africa are gin, guns, and chains. Another White Book nublished by the British Parliament says in reference to Africa: “Each time the corporal goes out. to get rubber, cartridges are, given to him and for every one used he must bring back a right hand. Sometimes they shoot' a cartridge at : an animal in hunting. They then cut off the hand from a living man.” This quotation is from a solemn publication issued by the British Parliament in reference to the actions of -certain moneyed interests in Africa and_ I am waiting to see “ Worker ” justify their actions. Wherever we go we get .the same story. The Church of Scotland issued a book called “ Social Problems in the East,” and in it said, “ The Christian capitalist civilises the black man into the cemetery.” s What about. the capitalist ex--ploiters of South Africa? One Hammond, an engineer to the Consolidated Goldfields Mining Company, said.'“With good Government there should be an abundance of labour, and with an abundance of labour there should be no difficulty in cutting down wages.” When the Chinese were being indentured into South Africa the Viceroy of Canton, addressing the prisoners, gave them the option of a swift and merciful death by beheading or of transport to the Transvaal mines.

How does “ Worker ” justify these facts or the fact that in the aforementioned book published by the Scottish Church it is remarked that the Japanese Government statistics show that, of the girls who leave the villages to work in certain factories, 23 per cent, die in the first year? The same publication when referring to Africa says: “ British and foreign Christian capitalists first steal the land from the natives and deprive them of their natural mode of living. Having deprived them of their means of living the white capitalists call the natives lazy, thriftless, and idlers; and. bn the plea that work is good for them force the natives to work on the basis of a slave.” How does “ Worker ” justify these actions? Only recently we saw an Eng-lish-owned Chinese company that was securing more capital promising dividends of 200 per cent, and boasting that such was possible as the pay of the workers consisted of a loin cloth and rice. Does “Worker” call this co-operation? It is; it is co-operation with the devil.

See where the tide of avarice rolls, ?; Against the distant golden shore. But starved and stunted human souls Are with us more and more. ;t —I am, etc., D. G, M'MiliSan. Kurow, June 14. [The above letter is wholly irrelevant to the subject of the New Zealand Legion, concerning which this controversy between Dr MMillan and “ Worker ” originated, and the discussion cannot be continued on the later lines.— Ed., O.D.T.]