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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria University College, Wellington N.Z. Vol. 20, No. 9. June 27, 1957

Catholicism and Class War

Catholicism and Class War

The Marxist-Lenimist interprets history in the light of a merciless class-struggle between the capitalists and the bourgeoisie on the one hand, and the proletariat on the other. He firmly believes that class is naturally hostile to class and that the property-owning and property less divisions of society must engage in a titanic struggle Eventually the exploited proletariat will emerge triumphant and establish the classless society. The capitalist imperialists will he liquidated, and the workers will all live happily ever afterwards.

Far from seeking to promote a class struggle Catholicism seeks the solution of class differences in conciliation and the achievement of harmony. The notion of an inevitable class struggle is seen to he radically false and in its place is offered the doctrine of the community of interest Catholics seek to end all conflict between classes and to foster and promote harmony between the various ranks of society. The representatives of Capital and Labour must learn to sink their differences and establish a modus vivendi.

The Catholic solution is not one of securing the liquidation of a class and the establishment of a classless society. Experience has shown that such a course leads to unnecessary blood baths and purges and completely fails to eliminate class differences. As soon as the Capitalist class is vanquished a new party bureaucracy emerges to take its place in society. Instead Catholicism seeks to obtain mediation between the "haves" and the "have-nots" and to break down this broad gulf by securing a more equitable distribution of productive property. The working class must be assisted in acquiring a section of the shares in the business they work for and in gradually increasing their percentage of stock until Capital and Labour become synonymous.

The first steps in this direction are to secure labour participation in management and compulsory profit-sharing schemes. Shop committees consisting of representatives of employers and employees should be established and endowed by law with effective powers, so that working men are given a substantial say in the control of industry and commerce. As time goes on the proportion of employees representatives should be increased until eventually industry shall largely assume the character of co-operative production. The employees should also be given a share in the surplus profits of business, and their share of the profits should be compulsorily reinvested in the business so that the workers shall acquire an ever-increasing proportion of the company stock. Such a system has been tried in the past in the English pottery industry and in the famous Zeiss optical glass works at Jena, and has proved an overwhelming success.

Such a course when pursued with Government. Church, and Trade Union support must eventually lead to co-operative production and the replacement of the wage system by a system of dividends for all who participate in industry. In spite of all this the Marxist-I.eninist will continue to promote the class struggle and deepened class differences, and spurn all attempts at achieving cooperation between Labour and Capital If. 'then, we are to achieve industrial harmony and true worker ownership we must seek the solution, not in the liquidation of a class as the climax of a class war, but in the integration of classes so that eventually the terms "Labour" and "Capital" become synonymous.

—T. J. Kelliber.