Election Issue Stated by Prof. Algie; Freedom At Stake

Northern Advocate, 26 July 1938, Page 3

Election Issue Stated by Prof. Algie; Freedom At Stake

•t l THE NEXT ELEC TION. THE CHOICE WILL LIE BETWEEN A DEMOCRACY AND SOCIALISM,” DECLARED PROFESSOR R. M ALGIE, ORGANISER OF THE AUCKLAND PROVINCIAL FREEDOM ASSOCIATION.. WHEN SPEAKING AT RUATANGATA LAST NIGHT. "Democracy is the only form of free government there is. Democracy and Socialism arc not the same thing, and never will be." he said. In spile of very unfavourable weather conditions, there was a fair attendance to hear the opening address of Professor Algie’:: campaign in the Whangarei district. Mr J. A. S. Mac Kay presided. Professor Algie left no room for doubt in his hearers’ minds that the Freedom Association had as its object the preservation of individual freedom, as opposed to what he descrihedas tire socialistic principles of the present Government. By its constitution, it had no sphere in .politics, and could place no candidates in the field, but in the present issue was wholeheartedly supporting the National Party, as that was the only organisation ranged against socialism.

I Auctioning 1 Politics. j “At the next election the Labour ! Party will offer the biggest and most | attractive policy ever offered by any | political party in New Zealand,” said j Professor Algie. “You may be tempted |to select it on its promises, but no ! political party over pays for its | promises, and it is the people of the | Dominion who will have to redeem them sooner or later. ] “Everything is not well in New Zealand. In the past there has been a tendency to turn elections into a kind of auction, to see who can buy the I greatest number of votes, but if we are going to vote for the candidate who makes the biggest promises our doom as a people is sealed. Governments and Depressions. “We have been told by the Prime Minister that the last Government was responsible for the depression and that this Government is responsible for the present wave of prosperity,” said the speaker. “How do you account for the fact that throughout the last depression in New Zealand there were appalling depressions in Australia. England and the United States? Was the Coates-Forbes Government responsible for them all?” Professor Algie maintained that tire real cause of the depression was a recession in trade following the Great War, caused by protective barriers set up by each country which desh’ed to make itself self-supporting. Democracy and Socialism. “Labour says democracy and socialism are one and the same thing.” said Professor Algie, who, however, quoted the definition of various authorities whom he stated that he would regard as being of more standing than Mr Savage, to show that socialism meant: “The common ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, production for use and not for profit, and the exclusion of private ownership in the means of livelihood of the working people. “Democracy and socialism are not the same thing," he continued. “The one excludes the other, and thus wo could not be governed by one and the ether as well. “With democracy, power is in the hands of the people; with socialism, it is in the hands of bureaucratic Government officials. “In democracy we have representative government; in socialism we may start with it. but wc will not keep it. “A democratic Parliament is the servant of the people; in a socialistic Parliament, ministers or bureaucrats become the rulers. and the people their servants. Instead of doing ns the people desire, they will do as they think best for the people. “The Encyclopaedia Britaunica is absolutely outside New Zealand politics." remarked the speaker drily, in revealing one source of his definition. Socialism and Christianity. “Labour says that Christianity and socialism are one and the same thing,” the speaker continued. “And so on Sunday nights the radio gives us the most specious propaganda any country could have, with ministers interpreting 1 the psalms to us with a political flavj our. Karl Marx was the founder of | modern socialism, but he says that one of its aims is to undermine tlie authorI ity of the church and to overthrow j religion.” I Socialism was opposed to Christianity, in that it was founded on a basis of class hatred. Professor Algie drew a contrast between socialism and social services, which latter he described as a form of helping' fellow-men. | “Under democracy wc would, every three years, elect a Government to do as we say, but not so under socialism,” he continued. "The Prime Minister has said that lie is not going to be orthodox, and that, he will kick over j 1 lie? traces. The Minister of Lands has 1 staled that as long as he is Minister, j so-and-so is not going to be permitted. He doesn’t ask us,” Choices of Government. Professor Algie explained the various alternative systems of Government facing the people to-day. In Germany | and Italy were to be seen the allied ! types of Fascist regime. 1 Socialism and Communism were--1 practically identical, both being a | form of government administered by ! ministers in the interests of the proletariat. Democracy, ns distinct from thrsc | two classes, war. the finest form of | government evolved by man, and was I also the most difficult, throwing the iwhole responsibility on to the individual. who was sometimes not fitted fc. .j it. It involved a sense of responsibility | and duty, and generosity towards | others.

“It is the ideal form, and it may bo a long time before it reaches us,” said the professor. “At present in New Zealand, however, we are heading straight for socialism, and from there to Communism. Value of Human Life. “If people lose their religious faith they become brutish,” he remarked, in referring to present conditions in Soviet Russia. “This is because they lose their sense of value of human life, but Communists say that the sacrifice of human life does not matter so long as Communism flourishes as a result. We, however, cannot subscribe to an opinion that puts principle before the sanctity of humanity. Ultimate Fascism. “If we go over to socialism, it will be because we have lost faith in democracy. There will be only one way out. and that will be by Fascism. In socialism the interests of the proletariat are predominant. taking from those who have and giving to those who have not. This would necessarily mean a class war, and the people who had would organise themselves into a Fascist community to protect their own interests. which would be just as intolerable, being another means df compulsion. Outside Reach of Parliament. “It has been said that if we get into socialism by the ballot-box, we could get out by the same means. Socialism, however, is always sensitive to criticism. Parliament is the one place where criticism is most severe, and It is logical that socialism would limit the power of criticism of Parliament, and thus weaken its influence. It could not tolerate anything that would undermine State control. Every step a .socialist government takes is taken | with a view to getting outside the I’each of Parliament. “The constitution of the New Zealand Labour Party is modelled closely on that of the British Labour Party, j one of the avowed aims of which is to gain control of currency and credit and then weaken the power of Parliament. This means that we would lose our representative Government. Socialism, not liking criticism, would take all possible steps to stifle it. j “In any country where an authorha- j live government has been introduced. ! all representative institutions have | disappeared. This is true of Italy. Ger- i many. Russia. Turkey, is becoming in- | creasingly true in Sweden, and is now | becoming true in New Zealand. j Capitalism Still Intact. I

"It is suggested that capitalism has i broken down. Capitalism has had many ! sins laid at its door, and among these j. may justly be laid the sins of selfishness, greed, materialism, and inability to think for the other fellow. Nevertheless, it has built up the world to its standard of to-day. But because of i a few grievous faults, it is proposed that we should scrap it for something ! that will turn the whole country 1 upside-down. j "With all its knowledge and resources, the medical profession has not yet been able to find a cure for cancer, yet wc might just as well suggest throwing out the medical profession j for that one fault and making use of some form of quackery of our own. "It is for us to look to the present system and see where, with our best efforts, it can be improved. A higher principal is required than the control and regimental ion that .socialism brings. If wc put ourselves to the task of getting a better distribution of our produce with the same vigour as wc have pursued in production, we could | surely achieve results.” Socialistic Administration. There were many indications that the present Government was socialistic in its outlook, continued Professor Algic. The Hon. P. C. Webb had declared that its legislation would nave a socialistic background. The Hon. W. Nash, when in Australia, had said that he was a socialist with certain qualifications. The Prime Minister had declared that ho was an uncompromising socialist. The Rev. Clyde Carr, when speaking for his parly, had declared: "We are socialists." To gain control of currency and credit, the Reserve Bank Bill had been Iho first Act passed by the present regime. Then had followed the Primary Products Marketing Act, the Industrial Efficiency Act. and the Broadcasting Act, all hallmarks of socialism i Tlmlermiiuiq; Justice. In some cases a ministerial tribunal had b< c-n substituted for the ordinary courts of the land, “When the administration of justice .is undermined, it is the poor people who suffer most,” continued the speaker. “We in New Zealand have a

’system of justice second to none in j the world, and now we are throwing ■ it away lor a mess of pottage, substi- | tilling for the right of appeal to a i higher court the right of appeal In (he i mini: ter, i "Under the 11 anspori i u en.'.mg Aon I. , , lin til,? case iii an appe-aI. the iviinr.ler jit; not bound 10 lake.- an,\ cwidoiicc, i hear any witnesses, or to receive reprejmentations from any person, it is a j dangerous precedent. So far, no great i harm has happened from this cause, j appeals to date having been fairly i treated, but it is the thin edge of tire j wedge, and would provide a powerful i weapon in the hands of an unscrupulous minister. The same Act must also j stand for whatever party is in power j The same system would apply equally i to Mr Coates as to Mr Semple." I j Freedom Association’s Position. ! “The Freedom Association could j have no party of its own," said Proj lessor Algie, in discussing the position | of his organisation. “If we sailed our j own boat, we would find rocks ahead, jas was the case with the Democrats j last election. Hence our only course is to support the Nationalists, who are the only party opposing socialism When we gel them into power, we are not going to let them sit back, but will ask them to be constructive." The aim of the association was to' inform and to continually remind the people of the advantages of individual freedom and sound democratic government, and to warn them of the dangers involved in the restrictions of socialism in any of its forms. There was a need to induce young people to enter politics, and to allow them the means to do so by making politics a career. Running the country required training just as much as any professional vocation. “We get the chance to choose the board of directors in whose hands the affairs of the country are placed only once in three years.” concluded Professor Algie. “Democracy is worth the effort, and we must have the faith to build, and build wisely." A vote of thanks to the speaker was carried by acclamation. At the 'conclusion of the meeting Professor Algie met a numb& of district residents at the residence of Mi' and Mrs W. G. Girdling, where supper was served.