Socialism

Press, 7 July 1977, Page 16

Socialism

Sir, — Gerald Henry (“The Press,” July 2) protests that all the enormous tax he pays goes to pay for our huge social welfare system. He states he was taught at school that New Zealand led the world in social welfare. Obviously the subject under study was ancient history’. I wonder if Mr Henry has heard of a man, who was something of a saint, called Richard John Seddon. Seddon gave us votes for women, a minimum wage, a State insurance and railway, and he fought to introduce the Old Age Pensions Act. The old, worn-out workers (“bludgers,” Mr Henry calls them) had been dying of starvation under the hedges and now they could die with a little dignity. Seddon w r as called a Marxist and a radical, but he just pushed on and said he was a humanist. He left the country in great heart for all this added to our prosperity, and we had the first democratic socialist State. This was socialism at work and no matter how people sneer and try to change it to suit their own 1 selfish interests, New Zealand will always be a wonderful place for the under-priviledged. — Yours, L. S. NEILSON. Seddonville. July 2, 1977.