ATTACK MADE ON SOCIALISM

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25589, 2 September 1948, Page 4

ATTACK MADE ON SOCIALISM

Pamphlet of Roman Catholic Church SUPPLIES COMING FROM AUSTRALIA “The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON, September 1. A pamphlet condemning socialism and m certain circumstances socialisation, which is to be issued to the Roman Catholic churches in Australia, will also be circulated in all Roman Catholic churches in New Zealand. This was stated last evening by the Most Rev. Dr. P. McKeefry, Coadjutor Archbishop .of Wellington. Archbishop McKeefry said the observance of Social Sunday each year had been agreed to by the archbishops and bishops of Australia and New Zealand about seven years ago. On each occasion some feature of social justice was chosen and a pamphlet dealing with it was distributed. The observance would take place in-New Zealand after the documents had arrived from The archbishop said that socialisation had probably been seized on on this occasion because of the prominence of the banking issue in the Commonwealth. The attitude of the Roman Catholic Church to communism, socialism and socialisation, “systems which demand the intervention of the Government in social and economic life,” is defined in the Australian pamphlet under 100 headings. It is summarised as follows: — Views Summarised (a) The philosophy and programme of communism cannot under any circumstances be reconciled with Christian teaching. (b) The philosophy and programme of strict socialism —the taking over and operation by the State of the entire machinery of production, distribution and exchange—are Marxist in origin and cannot be reconciled with Christian teaching. . (c) Where the meaning which is given to the programme of socialisation is the same as that given above to socialism strictly so called—socialisation, in that sense, cannot be reconciled with Christian teaching. (d) Where the meaning which is given to the programme of socialisation is simply that the State has»the right to place under public control those industries which are too vital to the common good to be left safely in private hands, then in that sense socialisation is not opposed to Christian teaching. (e) The nationalisation of any particular industry within this particular and restricted group is not opposed to Christian teaching, so long as it is not intended as one step on the road to total socialism. (f) Citizens should always seek,to determine whether the nationalisation of an individual industry is legitimate or whether it is really only one part of a more far-reaching plan. There are three methods by wnich this can be done. They should constantly question their Parliamentary representatives as to the real aim of their policies. They should constantly study the published programmes of political parties. Above all, they should endeavour to discover whether the ‘overall result of a Government’s policy has been to extend the ownership of productive property or to restrict it. In the former case, the nationalisation of a particular industry is far less suspect than in the (g) On the other hand, the nationalisation of an industry in which numerous small firms operate, or which is capable of being run by small units, is not legitimate. (h) At all times the purpose of Government policy should be, as far as possible, to break up big productive units, particularly monopolies and near monopolies, so that industries may be operated by small and medium-sized firms. In all industries in which this is possible it is the only programme fully in accord with Christian teaching.