The Evening Star THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1906.

Evening Star, Issue 12964, 8 November 1906, Page 4

The Evening Star THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1906.

Is associating ourselves -with the welcome given to Mr Ramsay Macks Interest!!!? donakl. M.8.. by that sec- ' isltor, tion of the community which is specially interested in bis work ami aims it is unnecessary to dwell at length upon llie controversial points suggested by his utterances. Mr Macdonald has not tome to this end of the Empire with tile object of stirring up strife. He comes to learn and to teach ; to quicken mutual understandings; and, doubtless, to further the solidarity of tho ■workers of the Empire ; hut (as the president of the Trades and Eabor Council figuratively observed bust night) he brings neither dynamite nor daggers. British Labor could hardly have sent a better representative to tho colonies. For Mr Macdonald belongs to the more philosophical sclkjol o! political and social reform, and he is saved from bitterue-ss by his knowledge of history and human nature, his sense of continuity ami evolution—wo might almost add by his sense of humor. He docs not rail (after the fashion of more notorious agitators) at capitalists aud Conservatives. Ho thus describes the purpose of one of his own books ; This is no indictment of the individual capitalist, who is often trying his best to listen to ethical imperatives in his business. It is an indictment against a system of disorganised functions in which even the successful capitalist is a victim morally, if not economically, like hia employee. To say that he often writes and speaks over the heads of the majority of the party to which he belongs, and that many reformers axe impatient of hia dispassionate me-

thuds of argument, is merely to say that restless industrialism has still much to learn from its best loaders. Moreover, with all lu’s philosophic reasonableness, Mr Macdonald is a thoroughly resolute reformer ; and ids evolutionary—almost necessitarian—doctrines do not prevent him frma making strenuous endeavor to hasten the changes which ho wishes to six'. "The

“past was ‘necessary’; tho future is ours ’* to make or mar.” He has expressed opinions with which we cannot agree: ami, indeed, we cannot, affect to share his Socialistic aims ami hopes ; hut wo nispect his sincerity ami Ills tone, we admire his ability, and we are in sympathy with the character ami trend of his general motive, ibe ethical basis of his activity is specially noteworthy, a.ml one need not be a Socialist in order to recognise the fact that many so-called individualists might well emu,‘ate the moral and altruistic ardor of thinkers and workers whom they are in tin: habit of ridiculing. Every man lias A little time that lie mav fill

Or with such good worki or such ill .As loose* tho bonds or inako thorn strong Whoroin all manhood suffers wrong.

For the yvremgs of modern civilisation cannot lie gainsaid by the commonplaces of a spurious optimism, however much men may differ as to the nature or practicability of tlm remedy. Air Macdonald frankly admits that the industrial conditions and necessities <f Now Zealand differ materially from those of tho Homo Country; and it is likely that a doso study of the political history of this Colony yvould persuade him that the alliance between Liberalism and Lalior had been fully justified by results, and that a grave responsibility would rest upon those wlto should bring alKiut a severance. Tho separate Labor party at Home lie declares to have been created by sheer necessity of events. When they measured the achievements of tile old political parties—Liberals and Conservatives—they were found to lie disappointing; wdien the Liberals were in, the Labor cupboards were bare, and when tho Conservatives replaced them they were in the same position: and after 100 years the workers lieing no better off, they formed a political Labor jiarty. Liberal historians —and even Conservative historians for that matter--might- he disinclined to endorse this summary account of past legislative achievement in the interests of the people as a whole ; but (waiving the point as regards England) there can he no question as regards the beneficent fruitfulness of the Liberal-Labor alliance in New Zealand. The Liberal cupboards lut-ve not l>ecn bare during the last fifteen years. AVe must be allowed a word of sjvecial criticism in conclusion. To throw discredit in repeated instances upon tho accuracy of the cablegrams is a facile but decidedly unsatisfactory way of confronting unwelcome news. Mr .Mu-donaid should have ignored the subject of tho English municipal elections, as well as of Air Keir Hardio’s truculent rhetoric, if he had nothing more conclusive than incre-dulity to offer. “He ventured to say it would be “found that the Labor party had not lost “ground.” Again, in regard to Air Keir Hardie, “the impression which the cable gave them was a lie.” AVc cannot help feeling that Air Alacdonald 6 method of dealing with these matters was rather unworthy of his j towers, and not quite, in keeping with his essential courage and sincerity.