FEDERAL HOMES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11901, 26 May 1899, Page 2

FEDERAL HOMES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I read -with interest Professor Bickerton's letter in the “Times” of May 24 on the above subject. In our present mode of living there seems to be a struggle for existence, a struggle that brings to the front the worst side of human nature, sel- 1 fishness and greed, and a grinding competition, that we might be better without.; > There is no question but that there . is enough for all and to spare, yet many suffer from poverty and want. To alter our mods' j. of living and ideas that have grown with! us seems a problem hard to solve, I thought, when the Cheviot estate was cut N up, what a fine, large co-operative farm' • house it would have made with its largo . house and outbuildings. The Farmers’ Cooperative stores-and the Working-- Men’s Co-operative -stores in Christchurch, seem, a success that might be followed to advan* tage in farming, or farm houses or federal homes. In starting shch, I should think, , in place of proprietor, in Professor Bickertons letter, the Government would be bet-; ter. What. I mean is the co-operators' leasing suitable land from the Government-! I should think New Zealand, with its present Government, should be suitable for' some such experiment. Anything for the; improvement of mankind is likely-to be slow, yet we bave State schools, State Hallways, telegraph and post office, with' State freezing works and State hotels looming in the distance, and old age pensions. Surely all these show a growing improvement, a slow movement in the right direction.—l am, etc., W. MARTEN. TO THE EDITOR. # Sir ( _Whil6 it may be true that there isa widespread' discontent with the (present 1 mode of life, the establishment of federal homes, as proposed by Professor Biokerton, would not improve matters, and no, one Imows this better than the Professor himself. He must know that numbers of ex-; hanstive experiments have proved that,; in spite of its economy—or as the Professor puts it, “ living at. ope-half .the present cost ’ ’ —any system of associate consumption is distasteful to most persons, as tbey 1 now are. The failures of Robert Owen s 1 “ New Hampshire scheme,’ Fourier’s phal-; anstere, the Rochdale Pioneers, - the Now, River Company, and the “ Christchurch Kingsley Club,” are not likely to be forgotten by practical people, though they may not damp the enthusiasm of theorists such as Professor Bickerton. The Prwessor’s letters are generally readable, meetly, interesting, and, always debateable. He; states 1 that; “ tha final object in the lishment of federal homes "fe ment of the altruistic sentiment. ■ _ - WeU, most people believe that the final objcctm: the development of the altnnstio senfament ; should be the establishment, of - federal: homes; and, excepting in one bh~two‘ is»j lated instances, all experiments of tins kmaj have resulted in failure, and if weare to! judge .the future by the tivist ideal is not to bereaCbed hy Bickerton’s methods. , It .is to that the ideal of the' people of New Zealand, is to create 1 a social demoeratac State, ,Mdi voluntary associations, whether joint dwcal companies, or communistic groups, womd> , in the eyes of a social democratic State* consist simply of so many individuals, possessing the game rights of property at prosent allowed to individuals. NWtbeltoMing of property rights ,by association of dtraems seems n^a step towards social democracy, buta tion of the whole, social democratic MteaLet.ns assume that our, pieamtj«HHHmc progress will continue on its present Jines.! It will simply be, a matter of a few yeatsj before the capitalistic system have worked itself completely out,.and until then the soda! revolution is impossible, la New Zealand the struggle nas commamed. It is a struggle-between the Shaves and the “ have note,” and it is a conflict of parties, each perfectly conscious; of what it is fighting about, and. fully alive- to the mo and death importance o" theJssucs afstakeWonld it not, be better for the-Professor, to show his sympathy with the democracy! in other ways than by drawing'the “red' herring ” of federal homes - across a track; from which it has been kicked more than once?—l am, etc., > E.S.X.