Letter To Editor “Step To Communism"

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 March 1948, Page 8

Letter To Editor “Step To Communism"

■ Sir—Mr S. G. Holland, Leader of the Parliamentary Opposition, is on sound lines when he suggests that Parliament should pass legislation to deal with Communists, but will Parliament pass it? He should know the New Zealanders well enough to be familiar with their habit of waiting till the house is afire, before taking precautions. Mr Fraser says the existing law is adequate, but will it be invoked? We were reminded in this connection lately, that New Zealand still has a government which has not yet repudiated “the socialisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange,'’ as part of its Party constitution. Personally, I am not expecting them to repudiate it, when they have it almost got. It would seem too much to expect, from those who were first banded together: “To organise systematically ■ and “ scientifically upon an industrial union basis, in order to assist the overthrow of the capitalistic system, and thus bring about a co-operative commonwealth, based upon industrial democracy,” that they should renounce the goal when it is almost in sight. Any of your readers who do not recognise the quotation, could apply tQ Mr Kent, who as the Labour member for the district, and a Socialist exponent for years, should be able to tell them when and where such a resolution was' first passed in this country. 1 should also be glad to have him explain how such “organising” differs from Communism, in method or in aim. At present, I am forced back on Mr Stalin’s explanation that Socialism is the intermediate step to Communism, and that “it would be the greatest folly and most senseless Utopianism to suppose that the transition form Capitalism to Socialism is possible without compulsion and without dictatorship.” Was it Mr Nash who said the Russian system of government is the best in the world? —Yours etc. BYSTANDER Greymouth, March 16. Ships And Whistles Sir, —Through the medium of your publication I would like to express I my objection to the practice of steamers in the port blowing whistles at all hours of the night and early morning, for the purpose of calling members of their respective crews back to their boats. Surely the shipping companies have some other means of ensuring that their crews are on board without making such hideous noises and waking residents up from their well-earned sleep. I think it is time that the powers that be took some action in this matter. —Yours etc. CITIZEN. Greymouth, March 17. Reply To Correspondent Wager: (1) According to the distance tables in Brown’s Nautical Almanac the distances from Sydney to London by sea are as follows:—via Suez 11,534 miles; via the Cape 12,413 miles; via Panama 12,419 miles. In each case “miles” means nautical miles, a nautical mile being equivalent to 6080 ft. (2) According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the coastline of Australia measures about 8850 miles (la'hd miles). This is equal to one mile to each 333 square miles of land—the smallest proportion of coast shown by any of the continents.