SOCIALISM AND CAPITALISM. AN INTERESTING CONTROVERSY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 29, 4 February 1908, Page 3

SOCIALISM AND CAPITALISM. AN INTERESTING CONTROVERSY.

[Bt Telegbaph — Special to The Post J CHEISTCHURCH, This Day. Mr. Tregear and Mr. A. W. Rutherford, "M. P., are carrying on a newspaper controversy in regard to socialism. "Ever sinco tho late Mr. Seddon cohio into power our legislation ha& had a socialistic trend," writes Sir. Rutherford. "This policy has tho concurrence of the majority of our peoplo as was shown at the last election. Both Mr. Hall-Jones and Mr. Fowlds are in favour, but- the time is not yet for inaking the trains and railways' free to all. This obviously means that the capitalist pays for free rides for his socialistic friond. So far ac I can discern , capitalists aro not wanted hero by the majority. That majority strenuously objects to being ' exploited by. capital; therefore capital should quietly and unostentatiously withdraw in favour of tho State. Personally, I tee no reason why a State should not be run on socialistic principles. It is true that form of Government would not suit me and my brother capitalists, but as wo are in a miserable minority «c must give way. Thank goodness 1 am sufficiently a philosopher to recognise this in a complao?nt spirit. Indeed, I incline to think that if I iwero one of the 'have nothings' I too would be a socialist, and favour the State financing all our industries. There is really no reason why we should not have a Socialist Government. Some three or four hundred years ago the Spaniards discovered such a nation in South America. This nation, Pftru, was governed by a chiof Inca. with the aid of a horde of subsidiary Inras, who were employed vory much as arc our inspectors. The ordinary workman performed his allotte.d task ; every man was compelled to do a- reasonable amount of labour; no person was allowed to starve; ample food was provided for all. In good seasons grain was stored in immen^'e granaries and distributed in lean years. Once a year wives were served out to all singLmen. There was no choice, in fact it was an idyllic - show until broken by tho barbarous Spaniards in their greod for gold. No doubt some- changes would be advisable to suit modern ideas.' For instance, Pizarro found at one village tha corpses of some contumacious natives who had been hanged by their feet." Mr. Tregear replies trenchantly: — "I consider," he writes, "that the distance Mr. Rutherford gives from history in regard to the Peruvians' socialism is to the point. Pizarro, speaking with the usual care of an antisocialist, remarks that he saw some recalcitrant Peruvians hunt; up by their feet. This may skm cruel, but it ir> hardly as painful as tha experience oi' thousands of Englishmen who |6oc> their children from doy to day' become more pinched, more starved, and more badly clothed because th^e? young lives are being absorbed inty the coffers of other persons "