The Dominion WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1932. STATE SOCIALISM CHALLENGED

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 264, 3 August 1932, Page 8

The Dominion WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 1932. STATE SOCIALISM CHALLENGED

h Mr’ pSTofsocklisn, in local and general governIt was time an arresting consider where we are going. P g insidious and steady, toward socialisation in its vano Dominion, In Great Britain the advance has bear much less than m d - ng C’tte th MivSS r «i aS pS enterprise towardi a State planned economy, perhaps with international control superunpo d haV 'Th“ e se P £X l S S ir £r addre*'sdch ™Mr. Johnston’s, and ol pabulum. But the growing pretensions of the State, its “es^MV are causing people to think and aS?S mote closely cause and effect. They have, been accustomed to Lo/to the State for help. Now they are beginning to discover th ®J are part of the State and they themselves must provide that help, extending the functiohs of the State thgy have simply been adding to ' heir T^day a the operations of the State are to be noted everywhere There is hardly any field of activity it has not entered through local or general government. And it is true, as Professor Murphy remarks in his Outlines of Economics, that “once a State function is assumed, •it is virtually permanent, because a vested interest grows up r o? n d it that makes for its perpetuation, even when the circumstancesi pstriynv, the original intervention have passed away. Any of us can supplj instances of such unjustified but obstinate survivals. In many directions it has become impossible to retrace our steps. The country is hopelessly committed. There are, however, many other directions in which State activities could with advantage be Moreover we could decide that we would not go deeper into the bo 0 Indeed some such, resolution is necessary if the current P r og r “s o socialisation is to be checked before it engulfs us all. The’ power o State servants in the electorate is already one of the biggest factors preoccupying Parliament. ' .. To halt the advance of State Socialism, two things are necessary. We must decide how far we are going to reform and we must have reformers. So long as universal manhood suffrage remains, it is useless talking of limiting the State to its original functions of law, order and defence. Some of the social services—education, health pensions—will have to be admitted. The questions are how many and how much to each? It may be hard to stop even, at that point although more will be found to frown on the economic functions ot the State than on any other of its activities. . . Here then is a common and agreed meeting ground. The offensive against State Socialism could begin with a campaign to eliminate as far as practicable State trading and State interference in business. Even that limited objective will not be realised, however, without campaigners. Mr. Johnston rightly condemned public apathy. Business and professional men can no longer say they are not concerned wit i politics. Like it or not, they are becoming more and more deeply concerned and will never be able to cut loose unless they themselves take a hand. \