THE NATION AS OWNER

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 11 May 1912, Page 9

THE NATION AS OWNER

The day la rapidly approaching, according to Dr Alfred Russel WaUace, when Britain must nationalise her railways, coal mines and agricultural land lne_ veteran scientist, a contemporary of Darwin, and one of the foremost takers of his time, stated a few weeks ago that he regarded the coal strike as a phase of the great movement that would make monopoly and grinding poverty unknown in his native land. He believed that people were beginning to. realise that State ownership of national services was inevitable They were, frightened at the prospect, and asked how they could afford to buy the immense private interests. But the answer to that was quite simple, since the State need not Pay a penny to anyone. "Take the case of the railways," said Dr Wallace. - "The Government could take the railways over, effect an immense S nTL m work*ne them and pay the shareholders a fair, dividend. Their &rst concern would be to provide all [the railway workers with just wages Rafter that they would see that the shareholders had their reward However, that reward would not contrriue in perpetuity. I like Bentham's phrase that Government should avoid disappointing just expectations. Shareholders expect dividends; let them have dividends. But their heirs? Well, let the next generation have those same dividends After that, no dividends. *ree railway travelling for all mankind, and the price of freight, like the post office charge, -identical and irrTf of dijJtance." The scientist added that a penny stamp would carry a letter across the street or fr6m one end of the world to the other, and the institution of a similar system in connection with the carriage of produce and merchandise would effect an enormous alleviation of the hardship that arises.from faulty distribution. Turning to the.land,,question,, he said that there was no shadow of doubt that Britain could produce her own wheat with very great advantage to herself. As soon as the State: attended to the production of foodstuffs: and the utilisation of the land there,would be remunerative work for everybody. Dr Wallace is an idealist, of course, but his dreams are attracting attention even among very practical men.