THE ISSUE TO-DAY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 29 May 1930, Page 8

THE ISSUE TO-DAY

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—Your correspondent, R. A. Gosse . need not fear any attempt on' our part to try and persuade the electors that the only alternative to Socialism is Couserva- t tism—because this is, as he says, very far from the- truth"—nor need he worry about any endeavour by the league to form "a powerful conservative party -to maintain the unequal conditions prevail ing to-day." Our contention for years past has been that there are too many parties, and anyhow it is absurd to use . the word "Conservative" in connection with any party in New Zealand politics. The league, has advocated and always will advocate the necessity for progressive reform, to bring about better conditions . for the whole community on sound lines, and we believe this can be realised under a system which recognises private ownership and enterprise, and which permits competition, rather than under the Socialist policy which eliminates/ these three essentials of r progress and substitutes the dead hand of State control. To arrive at such progressywe want the best brains in Parliament to co-operate, in the interests of the country and community, instead of, as at present,! quarrelling and bickering on minor party issues. Such co-operation would not be a conservative party, but National. . .... .- The late President Harding said, that "the highest function of Government is to serve the people and give them the fullest opportunity for righteous activity, but the Socialist ideal is the exact opposite—not service, but control and limitation of the people's activities. ■ _ The aim of good government, in our view, is to encourage people to develop and assist personal initiative, ; whereas the tendency in New Zealand for some time past has been for people to run to the Government in every little difficulty. We as a people : are losing our push and learning only to lean. The Socialist Party not only would not encourage, but it would actually pro-; hibit, personal initiative and . compel us to look to the State for everything. These, are the two ideals before the electors, and 1 a Government with a solid progressive majority behind it could effect more than any compromise between equal groups arrived at by bargaining for office. So far as G. W. Ross's arguments are concerned, we must remind him that the great advance in education has takeji pla^e under what ne calls capitalism.. <£ capitalists were as obstructive as he alleges, this would not have occurred, an*, we believe that the more sound education there is the less likelihood therel will be of Socialism being attempted.—We are, etc., N.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE. 28th May, 1930.