MRS. HARDING BRITTEN ON CAPITAL AND LABOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 844, 25 July 1879, Page 2

MRS. HARDING BRITTEN ON CAPITAL AND LABOR.

Mrs. Harding-Britten delivered a lecture last week m the Working Men's Hall, Octagon Dunedin, before the members of the Free thought Association, upon the problem of ••Capital and Labour." Having noticed at some* length the present position of capitalista and labourers, to show that there were great wrongs to complain of one the side of labour, and that there was some" justice to urge on that of capital, she attempted to discover the underlying causes of antagonism Which .divided them. It was shown how the few m the early organisation of society obtained rule over the many, what influence education exercised, and how the reign of intellect was brought about.: That reign was only just now daWning, and against even wealth could liot for ever ' maintain its supremacy. The action of true philosophy should not be to roll baok the inevitable tides of progress ' and natural development, < but to meet them and readjust the order of society to their urgent demands. A diminution m their hours of labour and att increase m the wages were only palliatives, and would not, solve the problem j neither would trades unions and strikes ameliorate the condition of the labourer, The immense resources wherewith the possession of wealth endowed the capita* list, left the balance of power wholly m his hands. The question of the mutual ■■. relations of capital and labour would never be solved uutii they mutually recognised each other's value and made their interest a common ground of individual as well as collective effort. Co-operation was the remedy for the> wrongs complained of. It involved the ' question of self-interest on the part of the capitalist as well as the labourer. It touched the very secret spring of success, giving good work m place of bad, fidelity instead of eye-service, and a united interest instead of the hatred, strife, and antagonism that now disseved the discordant and broken ranks of capital and labour. A very interesting discussion took place at the close of the lectnre, and Mrs Britten replied; at considerable length.