WELFARE LEAGUE

Otago Witness, Issue 3442, 2 March 1920, Page 26

WELFARE LEAGUE

ITS AIMS AND AMBITIONS. WELLINGTON, February 24. At the conference of newspaper proprietors last night, Mr 0. P. Skerrett, president of the New Zealand Welfare League, attended on behalf of the league to explain its objects. He emphasised the fact that politically the league was strictly non-party, that it originated in order to wake up the average man who formed the great backbone of the State to take an interest and an active part in public affairs. Its objects were to get sound men, never mind to what party they belonged, into the House, and, if possible, to bring into our political life a determination to place national before party interests. At the last election the league aimed at preventing the return of the revolutionary Socialist member, who was tied and bound to a party which had for its object the socialisation of the means of distribution, production, and exchange, and it supported the better man in each, case whether Reform, Liberal, or Independent Labour. It had only one pledge —namely, that the selected candidate would undertake not to support any Government which held office by the help of a revolutionary vote. Since the election the league had set out on a publicity campaign with the object of bringing before the public the true facts and its industrial position. Mr Skerrett emphasised th*, fact that in order to avoid a financial crisis, bad times, and unemployment, we must increase our production. He pointed out that to do this the worker and the employer must cooperate. The employer must remember that times have changed. He must not treat the worker as a mere cog in a machine. He must give the worker better conditions and also some share in the control of the industry in which he works. The worker must remember that, for better pay and conditions, he must give corresponding work and production. It did not matter how high the wages if the production was forthcoming. Mr Skerrett warned his hearers that instead of increased production, instead of co-operation between the worker and the employer, the country was faced with an organisation preaching that the worker had nothing in common with the employer, that Labour must fight Capital, and, above aIL urging its members to demand higher wages, shorter hours and less work. Mr Skerrett said that this would lead to national bankruptcy and unemployment, in which case the first to suffer would be the worker. Against this poisonous propaganda the league was fighting and carrying on a counter propaganda campaign to bring the dangers home to the public and to try to show the worker that his happiness and welfare depended on the welfare of the dominion, which again depended on his production. Air Skerrett said that the league further aimed to make the politician place national interests before party, and not, as in the past, to sacrifice them to political expediency. He further emphasised the fact that the league was _ the only association in New Zealand which had purely national aims, and that it was not formed to further or protect some particular sectional interests. It was out for the public good alone. It had members of all parties, including several Labour men in its ranks. It intended to continue its campaign in the interests of the public and fearlessly to attack any move, whether by the employers or by the workers, which would be detrimental to the public welfare. Touching on profiteering, he said that the league would urge a. strict inquiry into all cases, and, above all, urged prompt publicity; but he ventured to say that the rise in the cost of living was due to artificial prices and profiteering was nothing 1 when compared to the extra cost put on commodities by tactics of "go-slow." Touching on the reconstruction that waa necessary, he pointed" out that until tho worker sees the folly of Revolutionary Socialism it will be impossible to devise any scheme for the. betterment of the worker and an improvement in the relationship between workers and employers. .Trade unions were at present most strenuous antagonists of any scheme _ for improving the status of the worker in relation to his employer, and they preached only antagonism.

Concluding, Mr Skerrett remarked that it was claimed by the trade unions that the Government had , no right to control or regulate combinations of Labour, while insisting that its duty was to control and regulate the combination of Capital. The speaker could not accept that principle, as the public welfare might well require_ the control and supervision of organisations, whether they consisted of Labour or Capital. The league's object was to watch developments in the interests of the great middle public, who suffered whenever a clash occurred between the two forces.