York and Ottawa (1932)

From the November 1932 issue of the Socialist Standard

It is not often that one of the leading lights of science can be quoted as authority for what Socialists have been saying for years, but the speech of the President of the British Association, Sir Alfred Ewing, at their meeting at York, on August 31st, 1932, as reported in the Daily Herald of September 1st, certainly gives some colour to the view and contains food for thought. He says : —

“More and more does mechanical effort take the place of human effort, not only in manufacture, but even in the primitive task of tilling the ground.

Almost automatically the machine delivers a stream of goods in the creation of which the workman has taken little part. . . . He has lost the joy of craftsmanship and in many cases unemployment is thrust upon him more saddening than drudgery.

…. And the world finds itself glutted with competitive commodities produced in a quantity too great to be absorbed.”

This is what we of the Socialist Party have been saying for years. Capitalism has long since provided the means of solving the problems of production, and we can produce more than enough for all. Production is social, but ownership is not social—hence the “problems” that beset our masters and the miseries the workers endure. These will continue until the working class see the necessity of studying Socialism, the only remedy for these tilings, and then organising to obtain it. There is no hope in the present system. Let Sir Alfred Ewing speak again (ibid):

“The cornucopia of the engineer has been shaken all over the earth, scattering everywhere an endowment of previously unimagined and unpossessed powers and capacities, but we are aware that the engineer’s gifts have been, and may be, grievously abused. In some there is tragedy as well as present burden. Man was ethically unprepared for so great a bounty. . . . The command of Nature has been put into his hands before he knows how to command himself.”

Exactly. No doubt a great many workmen know of cases where “the engineer’s gifts” have been “grievously abused” in the interest of profit, and many are fully alive to the “present burden” of unemployment. But the sting is in the tail. “Man is not ready for the command of Nature,” Sir Alfred says. Just so. He has not set about studying his position in order to bring about social ownership. Our friend is in this position himself, for he asks: —

“Where does this tremendous procession tend ?” and “Where shall we look for a remedy?” And he answers: “I don’t know.”

Nor is he alone in this. Several English Cabinet Ministers have recently been across to Ottawa to try and find the same thing, but have returned empty handed. They have been wasting their time trying to find out how policies of reduced purchasing power (wages) can keep up with increased production. And we notice that Mr. J. Bromley (Secretary, Associated Society of Loco Engineers and Firemen) went along to Ottawa with them “in an advisory capacity,” in order to help them to find out how not to do it; and says : —

“He could not help it if they did not follow his advice” (Daily Herald, August 15th, 1932).

We would suggest that this paid official’s talents might be better used in the interests of his members on the railways, who look like having a wage cut, but apparently that is not of sufficient concern to this gentleman so long as he can offer himself “in an advisory capacity” to our masters and get a joy ride. Walter Citrine, of the T.U.C., was also there, helping to achieve the impossible.

Thus is shown the worthlessness of these leaders, and when the workers realise this, and set about organising for Socialism, these gentry will soon disappear—and the workers will find a ready solution to Sir Alfred Ewing’s problems, and their own.

C. V. R.