GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27572, 14 December 1950, Page 8

GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

Organised Labour Today

USE OF POWERFUL FORCES PALMERSTON N„ Dec. 13.

“ Organised labour, in the course of its long fight, has developed powerful forces which it has learned how to use. How it uses those powers in the future will determine the course of history in the English-speaking nations,” declared Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., of Auckland, in the course of an address at the breaking-up ceremoney of the Palmerston North Boys’ High School. There would be no halfway house, said Mr Luxford. If.organised labour used its great powers on gangster principles it was inevitable that we would become submerged either in the thing we call the Fascist State or in, the thing we called the Communist State, whichever one of the two should triumph. Every principle that had been fought for to establish the dignity of man would be destroyed. “ This horrible truth, fortunately, is recognised by the great leaders of labour, and I think by many of the rank and file,” he said.

Mr Luxford was recalling some of the great changes which had taken place in the world in the 40 years since he had left school, and he classed among them the reformed relationship between employers and employees. The evolution of the trade union movement was an interesting story. The fight was long, but it had resulted in the full and complete recognition of the right of all workers to receive a fair wage and to work under conditions that would protect them so far as possible in health and limb and against loss when laid aside by sickness or injury sustained in- the course of their employment.

“ If the lessons that have been learnt by employer and employee during this long-drawn-out fight are not forgotten, a foundation has been laid upon which a superstructure of industrial peace can be built,” said Mr Luxford.