“LITTLE RUSSIA”

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25598, 13 September 1948, Page 8

“LITTLE RUSSIA”

ARTICLE ON N.Z. SOCIALISM

CANADIAN MAGAZINE FEATURE

The Canadian magazine, “New Liberty,” in its issue for August, published, under the title “Little Russia,” an article (with illustrations) on New Zealand “under Socialist rule for 13 years.” The article was written by J. Baragwanath, described as “a leading New Zealand reporter.” “Of every 100 people who work in New Zealand, 20 work for the State—one in five are on the Government payroll,” begins the article. “Why all these Government employees? The country has to have them, because nowhere except in Russia and its satellites does the Government control more enterprises than in Socialist New Zealand. ...

“Who pays for it all? The taxpayer. The annual rate is £63 for every man, woman, and child in New Zealand.

“Industrial unrest is rife, especially in labour unions where a small but powerful Communist influence is most strongly felt. The ruling political party, Labour, is split as never before between the Right Wing Moderates and the Left Wing. The Government, returned to offite mainly through the support of industrial labour, is unable to control its own militant supporters. Strikes are becoming more frequent and living costs soaring ahead of rising wages absorb steadily more of what remains after heavy taxes have been paid.” “No Poor, Few Slums” The article says that New Zealand has no unemployment, no poor, few slums, a model rehabilitation system for former servicemen, and the world’s finest (“and most expensive”) social security system. , “New Zealand is regarded as a political laboratory. The main reason for this may be that it is a handy little country in which to try things out. “Once in, the Socialists began preaching their doctrine of ‘lean upon the State and all will be well’,” says the article. “Free spending was encouraged. People were almost exhorted not to save, but to spend what money they had and to rely upon the State to provide them with an adequate pension in their declining years. And the people loved it. They spent millions, made up for the lean years by glorious bursts of financial recklessness.” “It was the soldiers’ vote that saved the Government in 1943,” says the article. “The people, led gaily along the easy path by the Socialists .... were not happy about a sudden change of policy, for it was no longer the easy way they were treading. Labour, from 1939 onward, began to call for more and harder work, and great sections of the public resented this aboutface Long before the last election (1946), Fraser and his Government saw the prospect of defeat, and campaigned long and hard. with two main aims, to soft-pedal Socialism and te court the Maori vote. Maoris’ Benefits “The modern Maori has received gteat financial benefit from Labour’s rule. When he must work the Maori works hard, but traditionally the race is improvident, communalistic, prolific, and feckless. The introduction of social security into New Zealand meant the end of hard toil for countless Maoris; with the State paying 10s a week to the mother of every child under 16, with pensions for illness and physical disability, with no incentive to save and every encouragement to look forward to an old age pension, thousands of Maoris flocked to the Socialists, who had made these things possible.” The New Zealander’s radio listening was controlled and at election time, although the leaders of each party were theoretically permitted the same amount of time on the air, the Labour Party at all times got across a great mass of party propaganda under various guises, according to the article, which concludes: “That the period of Socialist rule has brought, the Dominion certain lasting benefits’may be accepted without question. But the fact that Labour holds fewer and fewer seats each election seems convincing proof that New Zealand is not prepared to accept the ‘ultimate Socialism’ that is Labour’s true aim. Having had heavy doses of Socialist legislation, and a big taste of State control, a growing proportion of the people believes that the tirfe has come to call a halt. It seems clear that the coming election in New Zealand will see the ditching of the Socialists.”