SOME POINTS FROM HERBERT SPENCER

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 71, 19 December 1922, Page 6

SOME POINTS FROM HERBERT SPENCER

Sir, —It has, of course, long been fashionable to decry Herbert Spencer, the great English philoeopher of the nineteenth century, as out of date, and the views of modern German philosophers (such as Einstein, for example) are commonly regarded as much more worthy of serious consideration. Even now, however, the views of a man. who has successfully foretold events are rt-, garded with some resjiect, and on this account the following remarks regarding Herbert Spencer may be of some interest: — Trades Unions. —In Herbert Spencer’s time trades unions were in their infancy. Herbert Spender condemned the movement as inevitably leading to a serious restriction of the legitimate liberties of individuals. During the past decade, I think, the freedom of a good many persons, both inside and outside of trades unions, have been interfered with by continual strikes brought about by trades unions. State Regulation of Trade and Industry.—This was strongly condemned by Herbert Spencer, who held that the controlling power should be the natural operation of the laws of supply and demand. During the war, and subsequent thereto, there has been, through- ' out .the world, much artificial regulation of trade and industry, which has not led to improved results. $ Everything is inferior, and much more caste, ly than it was before the artificial control of trade and industry was intro-, duoed, and presenteday economists are now openly saying that artificial control is a mistake, and that the regula-, tion of trade must be allowed to revert to the natural laws of supply and demand. ... , Compulsory Military Service (or training, if that term be preferred). — Herbert Spencer was the last man to contend that national greatness could be attained through, a system of compulsory military service. He was essentially an anti-militarist. In his time, Russia,, with her huge conscript army, was held un as an unanswerable argument against his views, and the Russian bogey was ever before us. Herbert Spencer contended that action ana reaction were equal and 'opposite. Russia, with a population formerly under military discipline, has suddenly been transformed into Bolshevic Russia 1 In her case, at any rate, compulsory military service has not resulted in efficient organisation, or national greatnessi New Zealand is a great country for compulsory regulations of all .kinds, but these regulations do not always pan out exactly’ as their authors expect them to. Perhaps a little knowledge of Herbert Spencer’s sociological principles might be helpful ?— Karori, December 18.