OVERHEARD IN TRAM CAR.
Maoriland Worker, Volume 8, Issue 301, 27 June 1917, Page 6
About this newspaper
OVERHEARD IN TRAM CAR.
A. lradins Chrmisl of Cuta Firrev. Wei lington. was. overheard to say tlwt "the germicidal propprlu of Flwiizol mal<c it a snititblf t=;< T'-Kiiard «s;iin«t Iho hpiead of liif.'iiililc Paialvsis." Hack moniing gurel" a ton spoor, fill of Fliienzol (I/ft and 2/6) irliilc lyinß down on tho Imclc and time iniplo Uio ups"] cavilj ai>2
HEALTH I Socialists in power in the cily rt Hie future would not stop to discuss wry* and means of preserving private property rights in instruments working harm on the coiumunity, but would aI. once have courage to declare that l>uman lives are of more value than commercial profit?; and would wipe iiit'j loul tenements and slums. All ibid would be pure, because adult era! imi would have disappeared when competition ceased. To-day you will be told, "We will remedy evils as far as the business illtorefts of the city permit." In tho future city evils will be removed and private business intarostf-s cease to be obstacles to reform. Houses will then be built for habitation—not for the gain derived from rent. The iirst duly of the city father.-;, as it should b;> to-day, wilj bo to protect the health of the citizens. With this in view we can expect the most perfect arrangements for hygiene and sanitation. Many 'diseases will disappear as the conditions which create them cease to oporate, liven now, with our present inadequate methods, progress is made inward.': reducing disease. Consumption, (■■i:u of our moat droad duea««, caused entirely from prcTcntible causes—unhealthy dwelling?, workshops and factories, and overwork and insufficiency of nourishing food—will surely bo abolished. UNEMPLOYMENT. In tho city of the future tho guamitco of employment would remove what to-day is a source of terrible worry. Those who administer tdVuirs would not "make work" for the unemployed, but -.wiuid -et them to .work providing tlieir cwii requirements. To combat ucemployment the hours of labor would be reduced. This would be necessary; and the nations which now organise their resources to the utmost ior war, can .surely organise scientifically their resources for peace. Industry will be so organised thaf involuntary unemployment will bo avoided. CRIME. Much of the inccnlivu to crime wiil disappear. Tin: changed circumstances of lite—security of employment, lack of poverty, increased educational facilities —would develop a higher f-landard morally and mentally anions the citizens, and crime would br/ less. C'.m-siidwably over half the eriino punished by law is duf. to prevcntiblo cyuses. INDUSTRIES AND SERVICES. An interesting question i=, "What services wiil be undertaken by the municipality of tlif> lvi.up.'.-" Undoubtedly vi'i-.v cxtui.-o" power-, will be by rvrry city. Municipal services and industries are important and io b(> vnro-.ivngod. but in this .connection it is more important that the workers and their children aic proprrly looked sifter. While Uho municipality remains iv control of
"business men" wo have but little interest in increasing its powors. The main rluty of Socialists in the city of tho future will bo to see that thoso who produce wealth enjoy it. What is being done now by various municipalities is a guido a« k> the future activities. Numerous enterprises at one tiino in private hands <ire now commonplace in tlio activity of municipalities Water supply, tramways, markot-s public works where manufactures are. carried on, .slaughter houses, bakeries, conl yaivls, dairies, gas ami electricity supply, free medical service, free legal advance (France), and municipal lecture®. Many (owns run concerts uid entertainment re-sorts. Torquay owns a rabbit warren, Colchester owns oytter teds. .Some town councils possess stiniised milk depots. Even this list iwes not exhaust Die activities of muncipaliiies. The city of tlio future will benefit from jms-t experience of municipalities in all these directions. Municipal enterprises will bo ihiii for the use of the citizens and not for the profit of any .iCflion. They will be rim at the cost of efficiency. Tlio sound principlo of municipal for the- common r ood, not for profit. In this connection it may,bo mc-ntion- I .-d that opponents when attacking rauni- I I'ip.il enterprise nncl comparing profits oarnej by municipal and pnvatelj'-owned enterprises, invariably ignore the lower prices charged for munieipnllyconducted services. In the city of the future- no question of making a profit will enter into the city's enterprise-, but, of course, efficiency will be demanded. FINANCING 'THE CITY OF THE FUTURE. Some- years ago ship canal, through mismanagement, was in linaiici. straights. city laUiers advuiiojii ctJ.Ou'^tiUU—i-.it<;uj-.-ii' j money—becausu the honor of the city j was involved. Two or threo years I ;;-store, whim attention was called to the fact that Jlanchester slums were the largest, foulest and most deadly in all England, those city fathers were afraid to incur the expense of demolishing them. There was much talk about the i burdens of Iho ratepayer?, but not ono word about, the honor of the city. The honor of the city, it seems is not con! corned at ■pn.'senfc with the lives of the people. But, this will be changed. Tho fear'of prohibitive- interest charges, high rates and taxes will not bo on obstocio to I financing the city of tho future I suggest that an extension of tho Guernsey market; scheme, whereby a public service was established without any charge for interest, will bo adopted. I That scheme, has frequently been printed and is too well-known to need detailing. Briefly: XfOOO was required for the purpose of erecting a market. No money was borrowed, but £1 notes wore printed. Payments in these notes were
made to the contractor who with them paid bis workmen and purchased his materials. Tho notes were legal tender. When tho market was finished it immediately produced revonu© which was used to redeem the notes. In ten years nil were redeemed, nnd henceforth to tho present time tho market lias returned a considerable revenue to tho citizens. We can reasonably expect that citizens will refuse to be burdened with vast interest charges and will avoid them by some means similar to that indicated. WHAT IS A GREAT CITY? A great city is that which has the greatest men and women. Where- the slave censes and the master of slaves ceases. YVhoro tho populace rises at onte against the never-ending audacity of elected persons. Where the citizen is always (he head and tho ideal. Where the city of the faithfullcst friends stand. Lot us work to tho end that this will l>o a true description of tho city in which we live. STEPS TO BE TAKEN. Tho lesson learned through centurios, of suffering—that only when the means of lifo are open freely to all citizens can comparative happiness obtain between mankind:—will remain, and its effect will bo to' discourage nnd prevent anything which would make for a returnto a system of capitalism and slavery of man to man. Jlero party counts for nothing. The question is, What do these' parties stand i'orp The .Social Democratic. Party mid tho Labor Party stand for the ideal city of tho future which I have attempted to portray. The methods adopted by those parties to achieve this gre;it object consist of urging a. high standard of citizenship, tho education of .the workers that they may p realise tho injustice which present conditions iuliict upon them, and the wisdom of working class political action—together with trade union effort—for the return of Socialists to all public administration and legislative bodies. The efforts oi our forefathers during tho last 150 years have solved half the economic problem. Man has obtained such a mastery over and knowledge of nature that it would be easy to organieo the labor/ of ilio inhabitants of this country so that all could be well fed, well housed and .well, clothed. It remains for us to complcto the other half of the problem by arranging the production and distribution of. wealth to eliminate waste and prevent the crafty exploiting the simple and to make it easy for all to obtain a fail share of their own labor and of tho fruits of tho organised efforts of the community. Some day, near or far, the slave shall cease, tho hideous mirk and squalor of our modern cities shall bo .swept away. Let us work that the happiness awaiting the children of the city of tho futuTO be not long delayed.
