SOCIALISM.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11900, 25 May 1899, Page 3

SOCIALISM.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir.—“ Nemos,” who wrote’ most sympathetically''in last Saturday’s “Times,” making inquiries anent Socialism, must by now think there are no Socialists in Christchurch, Otherwise they would have given answer. I am pleased, however, to be able to assure “ Nemos ” that there' are many Socialists here, and I am convinced it is only modesty that has kept them from pressing forward to state their faith and justify it by reason. In. the;meantime, knowing the prominence ypu,give ill, your columns, to much advanced thought,. I hope you may find, room for the. article herewith, clipped from the. latest “Clarion,” and from the fascinating and powerful pen of the author of “ Merrie England.” This, I am sure, will in a great measure please “Nemos,” and give food for reflection to many.—l am, etc., CLARION ETTE. Selwyn Street, Spreydon, May 18, 1899. (Enclosure.) " What is Socialism? There is more than one kind of Socialism, for we hear of State Socialism, of Collectivism, of Communal Socialism; and these kinds differ from each other, though they are all Socialism. So you have different kinds of Liberals; there are old-school Whigs, and advanced Whigs, and Liberals, and Radicals, and advanced Radicals; but they are „ all Liberals. . t So yoip have horse soldiers, foot soldiers, riflemen, artillery, and .engineers.; but.they are all soldiers. * Amongst the Liberals . are menof many minds; there are Churchmen, -Nonconformists Atheists ; there are teetotalers, and there are drinkers; there - are Trade Union leaders, and.there,are leaders of the Masters’ Federation. These men differ on many points; but they all agree upon one point. Amongst the Socialists are many men of many minds. There are parsons, Atheists, labourers, employers, men of peace, and, men of force. These men differ on many points; but they all agree upon one point. This point on which men of different views agree is called a principle. Thus,' the principle of Trade Unionism is “combination.” The principle of Democratic Government is the law that. the will. of the majority shall rule. Do away with the “ right of combination,” and Trade Unionism is destroyed. Do awav with majority rule, and Popular Government is destroyed. Here in plain' words is the principle, or root idea, on which all Socialists agree: . That the country, and everything in the country, shall belong to the whole, people (the nation), and shall he used by the people land for the people. That “principle,” the root idea of Socialism, means two things: 1. That the land and all the machines, tools and buildings used in making needful things, together with all the canals, rivers, roads, railways, ships and trains used in moving and distributing needful things, and all the shops, markets, scales and weights used in distributing needful things shall belong to the whole people (the nation). 2. That the land, tools, machines, trains, rivers, shops, scales, and all the other things belonging to the people shall be worked, managed, distributed, and used by the whole people in such way as the greater number of the whblo people shall deem best. ; Socialism may be summed up in four words as really meaning • “ England for the English.” (file “principle” of non-Socialism is just the opposite of the. l - “ principle ” of Socialism. f _ Again, as the principle of Socialism means two things, so does the : principle of non-Socialism mean two things. As the “ principle ” of Socialism is national ownership, so the “ principle ” of non-Socialism is nrivato ownership. As the principle of Socialism is England for the English, so the principle of nonSocialism is Every Englishman for Himself. i As the principle of, Socialism means national ownership and co-operative national management, so the princrole of non-Socialism means private ownership and' private management. Socialism says that England shall be owned and managed by the people for the people. Non-Socialism says England shall be owned and managed by some persons for some persons. Under Socialism you would have all the "•>6ple working together for the good of all. Under non-Socialism you Lave all. the persons working separately (and mostly against each otuer), each for the good of himself. ' So we find Socialism means Co-operation, and non-Socialism means Competition. The railways belong to railway companies, who cany goods and passengers, and charge fares and rates, to make profit Socialists ail say that the railways should belong to the people. Some say that fares .should he charged, some that the railways should ho free, just as the roads, rivers, and bridges row axe; but all agree that any profit made by the railways should belong to the whole nation. Just as do the profits now made by the post office and the telegraphs. - That- cotton mills, coal mines and breweries now belong to rich men, or to companies. who sell the coal, the calico, or the for profit. Socialists say that all mines, mills, breweries, shops, works, ships and farms should belong to the whole peonle, and should be managed by persons elected by the people, and that all the bread, beer, calico, cool and other goods should be either sold to the peonle, or given to the people, or sold to foreign buyers for the benefit of the English nation, To-dav the nation owns soma things: under Socialism the nation, would own all things. To-dav the nation owns the ships of the .navy, the forts, arsenals, public buildings. Government factories, and , some,'other things. , . Tb-day the Government, for the people, manages the post office and telegraphs, makes some of the clothes and -food and • arms ,:fpr the army n,nd,nayy,; :b,uilds.;OTme of the warships, and oversees the church,the prisons.and the schools... Socialists want the people to own all the buildings, factories, lands, rivers, ships, schools, machines and goods, and to manage all their business and work; and to ,buy -and sell and-inake-and nsei>,all goods . for themselves. To-dky some cities (as Manchester arid Glasgow) -make, gas,' and, supply gas and , wa-tefto .the ’; pitizenf t ■:Some y cities (as Xrtodoii) let their citizens'" limy 'their gas and water from gas and water companies. Socialists want all the gas and water to be supplied to the people by their own officials, as in Glasgow and Manchester. Under Socialism all the work of the nation would be organised, that is to say, it would be “ordered or “arranged,” so that no one need be out of work, and so that no useless work need be done, and so that no work need be done twice where once would serve. Under Socialism all the work of the nation would be managed by the 'nation, or perhaps I had better say by “ the people,” for some of the work; would be local, and some would be , national. It might be better for. each town to manage its own gas and water.’ to bake .its own bread, and make its own clothes. But ut would be better for the post,.office to bo managed by the nation. Because that has to do with all the towns. . So we -should find that- some kmds-of

work were’ best done locally;' that is, 'by each town or county; and that some were best done nationally, that is, by a body of officials acting for the nation. - For instance, tramways would be local arid railways National; g& s and - water would be local and collieries national; police would be local, and the army • and navy national. Socialists all go together in the wish to give England to the English, and in the wish to order the work, and to do it on co-operative lines. Where they differ is as to be the best means of-getting, what they want, and as to the best ways of managing the work, and as to the proper way of sharing the earnings. ; We go for the nearest,kind of Socialism. We call it Collectivism, and describe it thus:— COLLECTIVISM, OR PRACTICAL SOCIALISM. Motto: England for the English. The land and all the instruments of mating, parrying. and. exchanging goods to be the property of the nation; and to be managed by sthe nation for the nation. * Wages to be paid, and goods to be sold. But the wages to be fixed by the nation, or the towns, and the gcoos to be sold by .the agents of the nation or the towns. Thus, Collectivism is really an extension of the principles, or ideas, of. local government, and of the various corporation and civil services. This is what the “Clarion” means by Socialism. • What is there in it to prevent any man from being a Christian, or from attending a place of worship, or from marrying, or from being faithful to his wife, or from keeping and bringing up his children at home? There is nothing in At to destroy religion, and there is nothing in it to destroy the home, and there is nothing in it to foster vice. But there is something in it to kill ignorance and to destroy vice. There is something in it to shut iip ,the gaols, to do away with prostitution, to reduce crime and drunkenness, and wipe _out for ever the sweater and the shuns, the beggars and the idle fops, the useless fine ladies and lazy lords, and to make it possible for sober and willing workers to live healthy and happy and honourable lives. For Socialism would teach and train all children wisely; it would foster genius and devotion to the common good; it would kill scamping and loafing and. jerrymandering; it would give us belter health,. better homes, . better work, better food, better lives, and better men and women. .. .