The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1908.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 191, 7 May 1908, Page 6

The Dominion. THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1908.

MR. KEIR HARDIE'S VERDICTS. ♦ There is much of interest to New Zealanders in tlie statements made to the interviewers by Mr. Keir Hardie. when he arrived in England from his trip around the world. The impressions which he has brought away from New Zealand and Australia turn out to be exactly what might have been expected. Mr. Hardie lias not been a conspicuous figure in British politics for many years • without becoming a very shrewd tactician and a keen observer of political conditions; also, lie has not devoted his energy throughout his lifetime to the preaching of Socialism without, losing all fitness to speak with iuthority, with knowledge, or even with moderate accuracy upon the questions which are outside the interests of the revolutionary Socialist. In other words, Mr. Keir Hardie is a shrewd judge of the extent to which the poison of Socialism has infected any country's legislation, and the poorest judge possible of public feeling upon those nobler questions, the ■ discussion of which do not involve allusions to "hated Capital," and which cannot be worked to the profit of .the' Socialistic movement. -Upon Socialism he speaks with the authority of'a leading Socialist; upon Imperialism he speaks without knowledge and without sympathy, for the ideals of Imperialism are alien, where they are not hostile, to the ideals for which he lives and strives. Nobody, we expect,'exoepting those dismayed State Socialists who 'have been telling us that they hate "revolutionary Socialism," will c|eny the accuracy of Mr. Bardie's verdict upon the condition of New Zealand from a Socialistic standpoint. If anybody can identify Socialism, it is the member for Merthyr Ty'dvil, and he is simply delighted with New Zealand's progress towards his goal/ , This country is "the nearest approach to the ideal State that he had seen during his wanderings," and when tlie great Socialist leader speaks of an "ideal State" his words connote that State which our State Socialists would have us believe is a thing to,' be ; shunned. ' Our aiv of prosperity, said Mr.. Hardie, who has apparently never heard of wool, mutton, butter, and loan money, is'"largely due to the Socialistic legislation of the New Zealand Government." "I found," he went 011, " every encouragement for the' future of Socialism in most of the colonies. In Australia and-New, Zealand its doctrines have ceased to be the bogy which they once were. In fact, the Labour party is Socialistic,, and much of the legislation -lias been carried out on those;lines. " ,It, will be. interesting to hear what tlie State Socialists will say to this expert endorsement of the opinions which they have been: denouncing when we have expressed them. Mr. Hardie is at least to be trusted when it is a question of identifying Socialistic things. It was when he turned aside from the subjects that he has studied, and proceeded to discuss subjects . that he does not understand, that he went astray. To a " Daily Mail" interviewer, who asked him what general impression was strongest in liis mind after' piis' visit, lie replied:— '. "Wo can none of us speak for the future. But what strikes me at , present is that colonial loyalty is merely a surfaco sentiment. : "When business interest and loyalty clash, it is business interest that wins. Tariff Reform will never tighten the bonds of Empire j for the reason that the colonies are nob prepared to give anything. They will tako any advantage gladly, but they will make 110 sacrifice. Tho i'lag and the Throne stir a certain emotion, fqr they are tluj ties with. Home, but.!tho Empire arouses no enthusiasm at. all. In South Africa,' for instance, I found all the English, people with largo interests rojoicing that Milner's Transvaal Imperialism had been shunted, and the management of affairs put .into the hands of the sensible, level-headed Dutch.' For nil the difference the war has, made, it. might never have been fought. In': Canada 'Canada for tho Canadians' is the cry. Nothing about Canada for the Empire! In Australia there is the same spirit.' They are angry at tho very idea of their affairs being managed for the benefit of anyone but themselves." Whether Mr. Hardie is pleased or disgusted with his supposed discovery we do not know. Perhaps he does not care—lmperialism is not a thing that interests liim, excepting when it means the suppression of the activities of his friends the Zulus and the- gentlemen who are throwing bombs in India. In any case, we do not blame him for his slanderous attack upon this Imperialist country. He could' only have derived his views upon colonial opinion on Imperial affairs from amongst the people with whom he conversed during his brief stay here. It is upon them that the censure must fall. ' Mr. Hardie would naturally believe them to be honest reporters of colonial sentiment. .It is quite natural that Mr. Hardie's hosts should have misled him so grosslyj for your true Socialist is necessarily a hater of all ideals—and the Imperial ideal is one—which involve self-sacrifice arid a willingness to place greater ends before the ideal of a State full of ticketed slaves. The Empire depends for its existence, and its highest development depends, upon tlie exclusion of all that class-hatred and discontent through which Socialism works. Mr. Hardie's views will not injure the reputation of the Dominions. Few people will be angry with liim. But it is a depressing thing that there should be in this country persons willing, in their contempt for the Imperialist ideal, to misrepresent the plainest and most evident of facts.