The Grey River Argus TUESDAY, May 18, 1943. THE GOOD SOCIETY.

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1943, Page 4

The Grey River Argus TUESDAY, May 18, 1943 . THE GOOD SOCIETY.

An outline of what post-war reconstruction might mean lor the people of Australia is given by the federal Treasurer, Mr. J. B. Chifley, in a cablegram from Sydney whirl) we publish to-day. There' will be no return to the kind of economic freedom which meant unemployment for thousands. he says, while warning against an alternative of lives hedged round with controls, restrictions and directions. The main job. he adds, is to create the conditions in which palliatives such as unemployment and sickness benefits and pensions will be less and less necessary. There is some wisdom in these words. No people can hope to Teali.se the good life which has not set behind itself for ever the tragedies of unemployment, poverty amidst J)lenty. overproduction and artificial waste, which men have endured for so long. Socialist thinkers have long said these things, and have condemned the search for material gain when expressed as the motive of the economic system that allowed these evils to flourish. It is likely that economic justice is one of the first prerequisites of the good society, and it is desirable and necessary not merely because any advance towards absolute justice is in itself a good. Industrial processes working for a profit regardless of the effect they have on the personalities of those who have to operate them have an evil effect on the personality quite apart from the other evil arising from economic insecurity. Depression and boredom are typical Jof the machine age with its lack |of opportunity for any real ere'ative outlet. To economic justice, I then, might be added as a re- ; quisite of the good life, the provision of those conditions under which the personality of the in- ' dividual can have full play. And .full play for the individual means liberty. What then of the other fellow? Liberty in the highly ’ complicated society of to-day is essentially a liberty bound by the I desires and actions of all those [about us—it is limited in any one 'individual in that it must 'be consistent with equal freedom for all .other individuals. And as with : individuals so with nations, as Air Chifley wisely recognises; for, i remarking on the responsibilities lof the nation to the rest of the world, he rightly says that as its .interim] policy has a direct effect ■upon the economic prosperity of ! other countries, so its prosperity [depends equally on their internal ipolicies. His following and con- [ eluding remark in that connection that his Government’s view lis that their most important contribution to the l prosperity ;of other countries is to maintain the Australian people in full employment at the highest possible standard of living comes as disappointing. l?or if the good life is really to be realised in the post-war world both between men and women and between nations it will require a positive will to economic justice and co-operation land not a mere negative satisfaction in the fact that one’s own I house is in order. It may be. [indeed, that in that positive efi r oi t. long-held privileges will have [to be surrendered in a sharing out of the resources of the earth which wiH give to every human being of whatever class, race or nation the standard of life according to his needs which is his right by birth.