SOCIALISTS' LOGIC.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 66, 17 March 1908, Page 6

SOCIALISTS' LOGIC.

(To the Kditor.J Sir. — 1 did not intend to write again upon this subject : but after reading the news cabled to-day I cannot resist the temptation to refer to Lord Rosebery s speech, lie said protection is a a great evil, a great tyranny, a great source * of corruption, but Socialism is the end t of all things—Empire, religion, faith, freedom, and property. Socialism is the j g death blow. (Cheers.) Now, my So- I t cialists. friends or enemies as the ease ! 1 may be—though why the latter I do not f know; you have been very persistent in j i proclaiming to the world through the col- ? limns of the "Star" newspaper, that I a am extremely ignor__nt, and I have not thought -tire" point -wor£& disputing, beS_ta_se^e^paJ_itP3sd__l^far__rjts own ja.dg- •__

"ment of that in any case. But what have I 'you to say of Lord Rosebery; is he ignorant too? You may deceive a few people j with regard to mc, but you will hardly do so with regard to Lord Rosebery, who is intellectually one of the foremost men of the time; and I am gratified to find my i judgment of Socialism confirmed at this moment by so eminent a gentleman. A friend who has taken great interest in this discussion, has drawn my attention to the enclosed paragraph, and I hope, as it is an object-lesson bearing directly on the subject, that you will kindly publish it in your widely-circulated journal, just to show what Socialism is doing for France. —I am. etc., WM. PHILCON. SOCIALISM RUINS A TOWN". iSome remarkable statistics are published (says the Paris correspondent of the "Daily Express") illustrating how Brest has been ruined by Socialism. For three years the town was placed by the polls completely tinder the control of the Socialists. This summer the Socialists had to renounce their power, as they had reduced the finances to a state of absolute bankruptcy. There are 71.000 inhabitants, of whom at the end of last year 23.584, or one-third of the total population, were in receipt of poor relief. I The facts prove that the persons who received relief were not in a state of j poverty, but- that they were the recipients of corrupt indulgences on the part of the Socialist administration. Strikes which were engineered at the arsenal endangered national defence, and were followed by similarly induced strikes of dockers and seamen, which had a disastrous effect on the maritime trade. The building trade fell off 00 per cent in the three years, the local Customs diminished, and the Socialist council spent three-quarters of the £18.000 surplus left ' by their predecessors. Several schemes, laudable enough in appearsuncs, were I made the vehicle of wholesale extravagance. It was decided to organise the distribution of pure milk in working class , quarters. The total expenditure was ' £1400. of which £720 was paid in wages and rent. Each litre (lg pint,,) of milk, costing three halfpence, cost the municipality in distribution threepence halfpenny. Then the oouncil organised a municipal theatre on Socialist lines. After two years of Socialist plays the audiences so fell off that the theatre was run at a loss of £1600 last year. The experience of Brest has also been that of other French towns. Socialism di_ the same when in power at Saint Denis, Roubaix, MarseiUes. and Limoges. In each case ' a majority formed of the hated bourgeoisie had to be sought to set municipal affairs once more on a firm foundation. A DEFENCE OF SOCIALISM. (To tne Editor.) Sir, —As Socialism has_ now become, the ' rallying cry of the Or^Bp ; 'iv_,_ - _«c-(,'ana as New Zealand ha_ „»avellci ;_.rther along the socialistic road than any other country, let us look the matter straight in the face, and see whether Mr. Massey i and his supporters are justified in their fulminations regarding the greatest and weightiest movement of our times. The ■ socialistic legislation of New Zealand, which lias been in operation for some years, comprises: The Land for Settlement Act, Advances to Settlers Act, Arbitration Act, Workmen's Insurance, Old Age Pensions, State Fire Insurance, etc.. and with regard to which we have had sufficient experience of their working, to say whether or not it has benefited the whole community. Although these acts may have somewhat interfered with the operations of land monopolists, money lenders, those who object to any State interference between capital and labour, shareholders in fire insurance : companies, etc. I think it must be admitted by all who are impartial that not ] one of these Acts could be repealed with out proving detrimental to our best ' interests. That New Zealand has ad- ' vanced in prosperity since these Acts ' were passed is certain, and to-day she • occupies the proud position of being, relative to ieii size and population, the most prosperous country in the world. With regar.:. to socialism in our Mother- < land, its promoters have much to contend against. There is the House of Lords, ; who are determined to obstruct and thwart the will of the -people. There is a monstrous land monopoly, whicli has forced the people from the soil into the congested areas of the large towns. There is an utter want of provision for the old and worn-out, who, if they decline to enter the workhouse, have to subsist on a pittance of less than two shillings per week in the shape of parish relief. Sweating, with all its horrors, is still in full j swing, and the average wages of farm labourers, taking the whole of the English Counties, does not exceed 13/ per week. Millions of the people are in ab- I solute want, and with millions more it is a constant hand to mouth struggle. It will thus be seen that those who are de- j termined to have an alteration, and bring j about a better state of things, have a stupendous task before them; but they . have entered on the task with a determination and in such a way that success is certain. I have before mc one of their newspapers, the " Clarion," which is printed and published in London, and whose circulation in September last was 05,500 copies. I have carefully scanned the paper through from end to end, and have not found a single line advocating violence, confiscation, or anything of J that sort, but a peaceable and legitimate line of proceeding at the ballot-box. And | now it is instructive to look at the position of our country, which is to-day the cynosure of all the progressive statesmen of tha world. Let us think what has caused us to occupy such a position, ij think it is owing to our geographical i position, which has kept us much to ourselves; our peoplje, who are mainly : British, and who have amongst them the best strains of the bull-dog breed; but, above all, to the efforts of the two re- ] markable men who have influenced our < country for good more than all others— the late Sir George Grey and Richard : John Seddon, who, under the controlling ' hand of Providence, have brought about a state of things whi.h clearly entitle us ; to call our land "God's Own Country."— * I am, etc., WALTER CRISP. ' Fenccrurt, March 14, 1908. '