SOCIALISM AND PLUTOPHOBIA.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 752, 26 February 1910, Page 14

SOCIALISM AND PLUTOPHOBIA.

: j.Sir.-7-lii' your s article '■ oil 1 ."Plutophobia": yoia,:riis'e,seyerar :i .make' certain -which I, as ■ a Socialist, •regard ;as.my "bojinded/tfnty; to <-the public,to. answer..and deny. ' Tie question, ijou.Manswer : By ; ;7&e'i.lettfei^tV'^ie£ei'''..neyer'v-liaTe , | vbeen r ';'aiid vneyerSoa'E'.be; rdistributed-equ-ally,: so :long 'aa: men';:haye desires and are ,' unoqually - framed; to. acquire - them,"; and : ypri, oay .'fit the millionaires, wealth, could , : fei'difltributed > itter.e'>Vonld'b'e'':no'vbetter-'| ment .oo k the' > Ration s • lot,', for the••- na- ? tiony .it' consumes/, ;and y.it '•} cannot : > bonsunie more ■;' than it: produces!." ;My ;Teply is this, that no na.tidni.doea.,,consume :.yhat;i,,it .produces,' but'produce's morp;than. it consumes, be-■causei-its--'manufacturing* or productive. ; energy'.: is. greater '.V than. ita ■' .purchasing. : p6wer, : ;owing, to the.fact' that those'who. ;produce;are;-more than, those;tto. spend; and ■ those :■ who. vhav'ei the;, power 'to ;spend ;go of goods ;With 'lip-.properiregulation of supply and demand:V..>HehceSvit;..fbllqws \that..many, are on; tftebordersVof'starvation' in .the midet.'of ."plenty,' , but if '.the; : millionaire.s'' CwealtKVwM.;.'distributed*eyen'. : under;. the .present' : economic. -systemVit 'would iiiia.prove;.cbnditions.'afl.orpundvbj;; opening: up ; avenues the' increased ;cifculatibn" of and;thelpto /eliminate ; disorders? , ' ■• However, it , ii^notjtle^aim'/pf:;'Socialism. : to )"dis-,i jtributej.riches.l sipre-' 'sent■■'.'system;''.but' : toi-'eliminate wasted .'energy,./to : Bocialise' ; (andv-organise ,all : wealth for '■ the' whole ■ Community,' iinder ■the-control'-of the iStatei':i;e.j"the-people. If; all., wealth were, socialised there would Jth'en'Jie eqnal; opportunity for-the;Tiighest eipression ".Vof individualism;'becanse every then, have the. liberty. ■ to. carry/ out. "his desires, : choose .his'.'pwi'vocation r and-;bring.;out the besf ■ ;that\.is in'i;him ■ and.l lies dprmantiunder.ithe;;present. economic'sys-' tem^ forfwant'pf 'capital;linfluence":or opportunity. '•).''■'■}-.]•;: ]i:' : K :. : : ! "; ! - : ; ■ ■.' '.' fToii:'- "the?: real'"core: "for-"poverty does,npt fle.in the,direction of.Socialism; ;;ratheK;.;eMhVaa^;niiist!pijfctisetthe arts l . of ,1 andwcon^oli'da'te^the. advantages;- whicKs the"'ever-flbwing;.'ever-:increasing sfxea'm ■of wealth .puts. within ■its .reach;" : V ; Now, -sii," this■ woiild . be ; all- yery.,well;if;,there.;were>a. limit; to; "the , eveTrfiowing; ever-increasing ■ stream of■; wealth"; in certain; directions,' andra better scircnhition'.of the , means of : exgreat '! cpiigestibne 7 '°f '7 capital, ■ money. ; stored in ■ the,: ; banks;>:large areas ; of land - locked up, and. many, avenues of ppportunityi .closed jipr; want ■, of- a -little money; iP'ui within the reach of>each class;''many of jwhom , ; havo no '"advantages to consolidate :'./;ahd;, to whom - "wise - husbandry" ■has no,; meaning owing to a' chronic hand-;tp;mc/rith-;e3U£tence. .Socialism,;l .main-; ■|tajn;ris;"theireal :cure.;for poverty , ' beca'Tise.itvis; the.'cuTe of financial.congestion: which us fits cause.- ■ As ■ all diseases in the human' system can' be ■ traced to' ppverly,' or; ]ioor.'circulation^of : blood, so'in,the..social system ; all. its-disorders, diseases, , - crime,' and degradation, can be traced .to'.iact-of .circulation'.off moneys anaemic ..purses :due>to;;,great r icongestion3 jOf 'wealth;jwhich.-.fare.J l acfiially, thej occult cause.'of-microbes^ ...the i.atmbSphere-'.' an'd ; ' ; shuinan i physique.- ; To.ur : .article "speaks..; of the 'world's/efficiency; only in order "to -redistribute, the world's discontent by "penalising.capital.,';. Socialists have no quarrel with capital ■■ nor do we want; to "penalise" it, but:to see, "it properly organised so that the .life-blood'.'of- commerce money is not congested but 'freely cir'culatedl. The.'rjch man fwbuld'be .vastly; better ■ oft under -Soaialismi than ■he is : now : if ■•-.. he \'did but ..know; -it. ;I. could': prove to : him ;he : wouldn't*'regret the' change.in any one respect. • Before I'.coh- ; jdude, let.me ast what is'to.beVdone when •Tesla's 'prophecy 1 comes, true that'.before long .we shall be able frpm,the water-' falls, to'-., harness an ", additional labourpower 1 equal Vto another .144,000,000 of workers who will consume no food and need no clothes?" Society then will either have' to socialise itStWealthVor consign' the workers ,tp lethal':chambers in..wholeealelj numbers.; fltibAoves the ; : wealthy 'classes ito, ■"seriously.' consider they would. :pref er.'j universal." prbsperifjv and .joy.ver^widespread, disorder, s'fxikes,' reyo-. •.ltitions, v crime3,-suicides,-murders,,plagues, and "death. Sir,-;S6ciali6m' is. "tho pill for,curing, the maladies, of society/' be-,cause-;then, maladies; will cease 'to v be caused, the medical profession willbe- : come .unnecessary, for.'disease 'will be eliminated.—l-am, - etc.,.. ?}'. ~; v v.. : ;j.;.B.;MOIITON:^BAENESi : ; V-Weilington; -February 24. •',' '..!'./■ -:'