CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1019, 7 January 1911, Page 7

CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM.

Sir,—l cannot for t-lio life of n'.c conceive why such an excellent paper as The Dominion should reprint and circulate such a "rhapsody of nonsense" as the article by Scott Holland taken from the "Morning l'ost." When the whole tfulsomo elogium of Socialism is boiled down it simply means everything for the Stato and nothing whatever for tho people or the individual. To hard-headed practical men in a new country who have "borno tho heat and burden of tho day," who havo cleared tho bush, stocked the land, built tho railway roads and bridges; in fact, dono all tho hard graft that has mado New Zealand and. Australia habitable and fit to live in tho fulsome adulation of Socialism and the doctrine of everything for the Stato and nothing for tho people is unutterably abominablo. As for myself and many other natives of this land I find, after three score years of rough pioneering work in this part of tho world I am compelled to pay into the greedy grasping coffers of tho Stato and tho municipality in tho sbapo of rates, taxes, and other charges, every shilling and every penny I can sibly scrape together. Sir, as you have given Mr. fcbott Holland two whole columns of your valuable: space for his impracticablo theories, I liopo you will not refuse me a few inches for my short, but emphatic, protest.—l am, €tc '' INDIVIDUALIST. January G, 1911. [The use of tho word "Socialism" is, we think, responsible for the indignation of our correspondent, rather than anything that Caiion Scott Holland has to say in his reminiscences. Wo'object to tho usual Socialistic ideas as much as anyone. AVe do not object, however, to "a higher standard of living and efficiency" for wage-earners. Our objection is to a higher standard of wages accompanied ov rcduccd efficiency. No one, wo think, save a few interested persons, -will object to ■_ a fair living wage to replace sweating conditions existing in certain industries in England. Few people in tho overseas Dominions, are likely to tako exception to the Bishop of London's appeal for equality of, opportunity with merit as tho final test. In any case The Dominion believes that it can best servo the public interest by keeping its readers abreast with all public movements of importance whether it disagrees with those movements or not. Its news columns are not coloured by tho policy of the paper.]