CRUDE SOCIALISM.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1889, 7 April 1913, Page 4

CRUDE SOCIALISM.

In some respepts it was an honour to have so cle\ er anjadvocate as Professor Mills sent along to deal with tome remarks we made in last Monday's issue undef the heading Crude Socialism. What we described as crude socialism was the socialism of the gentlemen who spoke the previous Saturday. We advised genuine labour in this town to beware of honeyed words which meant nothing and incidentally suggested that the men who were visiting the town should be judged on their past performances, and be placed in the scale with men who have built up the labour cause in New Zealand, genuine reformers as distinguished from criers of destruction. As one instance of crude Socialism we gave the old worn-out argument of these men that every man should get what he produces, and we quoted one of the most eminent of British economists —a man we might inform Professor Mills, who has torn arguments of American socialists to shreds —to show how impracticable was the suggestion. We said that some modern Socialists of standing had abandoned the idea that it would be possible for every man to be assessed and allotted the identical value of everything he produces, and showed that often the men again.-t whom destructive (socialists point the finger of scorn, were men of directive ability, men of particular talents, and workers of the highest order. If Professor Mills finds his inducement sufficient to stand to, and champion imperfect expoundings of Socialism, that is his own business, and he must not mind if the pubiic accept him at his own classification; giving allowance of course for his rare power of oratory, lais genial personality, and his undoubted gift of making illogical argument appear logical—a gift that can be much developed by long practice and which brings many a pound sterling to special pleaders, legal and otherwise. In this ri spect we do not think Professor Mil a has by any means underassessed Lis value to those who have engaged his services. We add a few wor.<s uttered editorially by the Wellington Post on Saturday when dealing with the approaching municipal elections : " The vast majority of the Labour-Socialists figuring before the public in New Zealand are not economists ; : hey are not masters of great affairs of statesmanship. They have a hazy notion of some short cut to a maximum of prosperity at a minimum of effort. They will have it by resolution, by fiat, duly recorded in the minutes. We should prefer to have thd experimenting done in places where the possibilities for extensive mischief are not so alarming as they are in Wellington."

This year 11.889,989 passengers were carried on the New Zealand railways as compared with 10,946, 777 in 1912, an increase of 893,212. Some farmers at Aorangi are at a loss to know why during the past season a large nnmber of pinus insignns trees have withered up and died. From inqiries made in other parts of the district the disease appears to be general. In one plantation alone at Aorangi upwards of seventy trees have died. Excellent results (says the Post) are being recorded of the tests made at Awauui high-power wireless station Mr. R finhard, representative of the Australian Wireless Company, has been informed that the station at Honolulu (some 3500 miles distant) has heard * Awanui nicrhtlv, and that the station has been picked up by steamers between Honolulu and Yokohama. Mr. Reinhard considers this very satisfactory. Work at the high-power station at Bluff is progressing, and Mr Reinhard left on Saturday right for that place to superintend the fitting of the necessary machinery. Messrs H. L. Young, Limited, commercial printers and manufacturing stationers, have been fortunate in securing Mr Goodman as head of their letter-press department. He comes with the highest credentials from Messrs Yarley, Limited, Melbourne, the well-known art and three colour printers. Although the local firm's work has always been kept up-to-dato, under Mr Goodman's supervision they will now be able to produce new ideas and colours.

For the past three weeks the outlet of the Wairarapa Lake has been blocked, and no efforts are yet being made to open it. Experienced men state that it is useless to open the outlet until the water has reached a certain point. All low-lying country is now under water, but not enough to be dangerous to stock. During the three weeks just past. Maoris have been camped at Turanganui, for the purpose of catching eels, which are dried and preserved. An average of twelve sacks is netted in one night. Some ten large boxes have been despatched to Hastings. Practically every Maori settlement in the Wairarapa is being supplied—enough to keep them through the winter. This picnic at the eels' expense only occurs once in a year, and that is when tha lake is blocked. Apropos of the recent accident in a mill at Taumarunui, when a young man's clothng was caught in somemoving machinery, Mr J. Read, secretary of the Wellington Enginedrivers' Union, writes to the Post pointing out that had the enginedriver been away from his engine at the time the victim of the accident would probably have lost his life. The writer adds: "On several occasions I have paid visits to country sawmills, and have found that the enginedriver has had to travel long distances to procure fuel for the boiler. This usually consists of slabs sawn from the outside of the logs, which are placed in the open air to dry. In one case 1 cane across recently the driver told me he had to go over 100 yards from his engine for this purpose, and assuming any worker in the mill had met with such an accident as the one mentioned above, it was not difficult to prophesy what would be the consequence. The position has been reported to the Inspector of Machinery Department many times, but bo far they have not seen fit to block the practice As it is a matter connected with tne sa'ety of all workers in factories, some months ago I also reported the matter to the Inspector of Factories who was in charge of the sawmill district around Ohakune and Taihape. He stated in his reply he thought the complaint was a fair one and would do what he could do to put a stop to it, but on a recent visit it was going on just as merrily as ever. It is time something was done in the matter, as assuming a man mot his death under the circumstances mentioned, the enginedriver would in all probability be called upon to forfeit his certificate, when owing to oircumstances he has either got to carry his fuel from a long distance or get out." Ladies are respectfully invited to m spect the fashions of the moment at the Bon Marehe to-day; several departments have been greatly enlarged to provide scope for the increasing trade at C. M. Ross & Co's. Ladies will find the show room has been greatly extended, so that selection of millinery, furs :uid costumes can be made with every comfort and convenience. Fur coats, fur sets and fur hats are the special feature of the display to-day.— C. M. Ross & 00.%* The eternal question—- " When can we make your wedding cake."

Dustin's, Ltd., The Square, Palmeretou N