WHAT IS COMMUNISM

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12095, 24 March 1925, Page 5

WHAT IS COMMUNISM

GOVERNMENT BY A GLASS JUDGE OSTLER’S ADDRESS AT BOYS’ INSTITUTE. - PRESENT SYSTEM BEST. Some interesting observations on Communism and sane government were made by His Honour Mr Justice Ostler When presiding at the annual meeting of the Wellington Boys’ Institute last night. A DOUBLE-BARRELLED BRITISHER. His Honour said the greatest asset the community possessed was the hoys and girls of the country, in whose hands lay the future of the Dominion. He himself was bred and born in New Zealand, and as such was what he might call a double-barrelled Britisher, Whose mission was to maintain the liberty which had. been handed down. as a heritage by their ancestors. They had heard a good deal at street corners about a form of government called Communism, or as some called it. Bolshevism. THEIR OWN REPORT. It was quite clear from a perusal of the report -made by the delegation of British trade unionists which went to Russia recently, and investigated the 'Communistic form of governent there • —and they were friendly critics—that the definition of Communism was the governent of tb'e community by a class which was: prepared to us§ force if necessary upon that portion of the community opposed to that form of government. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. They had had! too much government by a class in the past history of their own country, by an absolute king and by aristocracy, both of which had 1 been tried, and- had been found wanting. It was not to be expected that any one class would be more successful.-. They wanted a form of government which would give an equal opportunity to every hoy and girl in the Dominion. Although far from admitting that the present form of government was perfect, it came the nearest to perfection of any form of government devised by human wisdom. They only had to look at the public menin the Dominion entrusted with responsible offices to see that practically all of "them were self-made men. Practically every profession was open _ to every person having sufficient capacity, industry, and the inclination to enter. “BETTER THOSE WE HAVE.” : What they wanted- to do in this .country waa to devise and keep some form of government which would give equal opportunity to all their hoys and girls, and they were getting on that Way. They already had their institutions, and they wanted to strive to I better those institutions and keep them, I not throw them down for some new I form of government which was merely j in the experimental stage. In order to i preserve the true form of government ! they,had to train boys and girls in the i love of their country, in the value of their - institutions, which bad been built •up .by the accumulated wisdom of I centuries, train them in habits of thrift apd independence, good comradeship and good, sportsmanship. After reading the annual report of the Boys’ Institute he had no doubt that the boys, and girls were receiving 6uch training, and he wished it sucoess and prosperity. •Everyone in the community missed his ■mark in the world unless he endeavoured to make it a better place for his children and the children of others.