WAGES UNDER SOCIALISM.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 199, 22 August 1919, Page 10

WAGES UNDER SOCIALISM.

(To the Editor.) "*sw» —In his criticism of ay letter "S.WJS.** devotes a good deal of" space to ' generalising on the ideals of socialism, j I am not necessarily opposed to these I Ideals, but I contend that the methods proposed to attain to them will not "produce the goods." I may also sayin passing, what should have been apparent to readers of my previous letter, that I do not uphold the present social j order; probably I am as little satisfied with it as is "S.W.S." himself. Your correspondent says I am not quite correct in stating that under socialism all would be paid alike, but admits that "most Socialists believe that in time this would be so." My own words were: "This (the Socialists' scheme) means, as is admitted by most of the Socialists themselves, that everyone would become an employee of the State and all would be I paid alike." Where is the difference? However, "SAWS."' can have it either way. | but it is up to him to say cxactlv what ! is proposed. Would he "pay the 1000 I brick man five times as much as his 200- i brick confrere? If so. how would the i curse of "competition" be eliminated?' If not, what would happen to "the I Socialist idea of reward* according to services rendered?" What we want to) know is. how would wages lie graded I when all production, distribution and exchange—in short all work, mental and j physical—were under bureaucrati: controlt At present there is the universal competitive system as a guide for the State under-' takings, but let us consider what would be the position when in the course of a little time, this basis of comparison is lost. By what means and by whom would "rewards according to "services rendered" be fixed? What would be the relative scale of pay for say, sculptors and stone masons, great artists and house painters, captains of liners and able-seamen, eminent surgeons and herbalists, King's counsel and policemen? Would the reward fixed by a Government official be likely to induce all these parties to Tender their best service? I do not say there are not those who will do good work under all circumstances, but I contend, as a rule, the man who thinks be is underpaid (and especially as compared with others whom he knows) will not do his utmost. To treat exceptional cases as if they were the rule is to get one's facts inverted. I trust "S.W.S.-'-' will answer my queries as to the fixing of wages under socialism. I have asked Socialists who supported graduation to define their scheme, but without success. I believe in equality so far as natural opportunities, i.c, land, *re concerned, but I have too much regard for justice and freedom to sanction a policy which would give to some more and (necessarily) to others less than "the full product of their labour."— I ana, etc., FREEDOM.