SOCIALISM AND POVERTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13325, 3 November 1906, Page 8

SOCIALISM AND POVERTY.

■ Sir,—Re Mr. Ewinglou's letter on Mr. Andrew address at the.Synod, if you have a noxious weed in your'garden and keep cutting the top off to keep it from spreading you do good; but if you take a snade and dig it out you do bettor. For, in* the first instance, you have to continue the cutting year after year; while by digging the" weed out you destroy it for ever; Mr. Ewingtou's plan is to provide, charity for the poor, which is cutting the top off the Weed poverty; the socialist plan is to real out poverty altogether. 1 welcome good wherever I'see it, and 1 admit that the Churches do much good in philanthropic directions; and'also that their moral teaching is good. But for all their efforts the masses are vearlv getting poorer, and it would be more'to the eredi't of Christians if they spent less money on their grand buildings and more on their fel-low-creatures. In this connection Mr. Ewington does not know what sums socialists spend on relieving distress because, unlike the Churches, they "do not let their left bands know what their right hands do." -Mr. hwmglon. apparently, would reverse the words of Christ when He said, "How hardy shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven;" of St. Paul, " The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil;" of ',', James, " Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl, etc ; or see. James, chanter v., first six verses: also chanter 2, first four versus. I commend these to Mr. Ewington, as he seems to hold a brief for the rich. The gentleman seems to think that We socialists are all alter money, as he apparently does not give us To-*™' """" P«'ne»pl«: but I own upwards of £5000 worth of freehold land (State valuation), and yet I advocate land nationalisation. .No man can consistently follow Jesus Christ and not be a socialist, for Christ's teachings are all socialistic; but very few care to follow these teachings, unless indeed the poor. Socialism doss not meddle with anybody.? religion, but seeks to do awav with poverty, from which nearly all sin and crime proceed. j. yp. Ke.vui.