THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1902. SOCIALISM

New Zealand Mail, 29 January 1902, Page 34

THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1902. SOCIALISM

Following the lead of Wellington n terhury has formed a branch of New Zealand Socialist party T| . movement is the direct outcome of impulse emanating from “Clarion" - an migrants, induced to come hither b v M Eanstead’s roseate pictures of New 7 * land conditions; and it is possibly thing more than a coincidence th-t Jf Tom Mann once a prominent Labom leader m England, should j us t hav come to this country and started big public career here by giving a lecture on “Socialism.” A good deal of confu sion hangs around that term. I n COD ] tinental Europe, Socialism is generally identified with revolutionary ideas m politics and with atheism; in England and America the Socialists are merely the advanced wing of the Labour partyin New Zealand the assertion is f re ! quently made that “we are all Socialists,’' because the State and the municipalities have undertaken many works of public utility, and are apparently ready to accept further responsibilities )D that direction. Socialist groups and individuals differ widely in their llcfinitions of their aims. Thus, while the Wellington group appears to include nearly every progressive reform, that of Canterbury seems inclined to concentrate its energies upon electoral and constitutional changes, chiefly in the direction of securing the power of initiative and referendum to the people hoping by means of such weapons to obtain everything else that is desirad. When we ask the philosophers to explain the basis of Socialism, we do not get into a clearer atmosphere. One icplies that the basic principle is to reorganise our social, commercial and political institution* in accordance with the tenets of Christianity—a very wide definition indeed. Another says that the true Socialistic condition is one in which .ill commodities are produced for use ssd not for profit, which means “the rationalisation of everything." Socialism, say others, is not the administration by the State or the municipality of a public interest, but the public administration of a private interest. The administration of the railways and the carrying on of workshops in connection therewith is regarded as a species of Socialism. but it does not come within the definition made. In the same sense, when a municipality takes over the administration of its public services and manages them successfully, it is but an extension of municipal duty. When it is proposed that the State should fate over a badly-managed private enterprise, a coalmine, for instance, then that would be a species of Socialism which the Premier, on inquiry, has said it may bo wise to abandon. A municipality may, with advantage to its citizens, possess and administer publio

services, such as lighting, water, sewerage, tramways and the rest; but when it enters into competition with any of it® citizens in their private businesses, then it would be crossing the line dividing legitimate municipal enterprise from dangerous Socialism. Amid all the;® conflicting definitions, the only ®f® eourse is to decide each progressive inform on its merits, without inquiring whether it agrees with any particular party shibboleth. That is the course which New Zealanders have pursued, and so long as they find good result® achieved, they are careless by name the advanced legislation may called.

It does not appear that Mr T <,m Mann has any new message to c * liver to the working men of New Zealand. He has contended in season ®u out of season for an eight-hours day** the British workman. Here he will that day already established. His tion that municipal factories and "°f shops should be established “to P rOVI work for all those who cannot under ordinary circumstances, an the community should see that person has the means of an 0 . livelihood,” has been in some nl^ as .. ( affirmed by the Government o ■ country in the co-operative workspatient people may say that we iaV

„ nne far enough; but from the staad- • t of the interests of all classes in £ country there is no present neces“v for the active prosecution of tur-so-called Socialistic adventures. So , we have experimented with considerable success. There are indications, however, that further aggressiveness on the part of labour would be resisted; d we are not so sure but that some of the gains it has made during the past decade may have to be relinquished. Our working men have sometimes shown themselves wiser than their leaders, and it is not likely that Mr Mann will have any influence other than making th eni more contented with their wages and labour conditions, by sharply contrasting their lot- with that of Ho British workman ,at Home. Where the principle of conciliation and arbitration is inactive operation, it does not appear that there is much necessity for the “labour agitator,” and with all his experience Mr Mann will not he able to teach our workers much that is practical or for their benefit. Fanciful ideas and rosy pictures, however eloquently advanced, are not likely to captivate the working men of this country, or carry them away into excesses. By combination, intelligence and favouring legislation they have accomplished much. By agitation and action in excitement they would nullify the advantages they have attained and set back the hands of Time as far as their advancement is concerned. Our working classes are the freest and most favoured of any in the world, and the knowledge that their condition is the envy and admiration of workers in all lands will steady their ambitions and moderate their demands, if it does not at the same time render them more contented with their lot. It would be matter for regret were they induced to become aggressive under the stimulation of the utterances of a “friend of labour” whose opinions cannot be of value until he has, by years of observation and experience, mastered the conditions prevailing here and correctly appraised tho progress already made, the elements that make for retardation, and the desirableness of careful consolidation before further changes are proposed.