OF NEW ZEALAND INTEREST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19019, 15 November 1923, Page 11

OF NEW ZEALAND INTEREST.

FIGHT AGAINST SOCIALISM. ROTA RIANS AT MARGATE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CONDON, October 5. At the luncheon of the Rotary Club at Margate last week Mr T. F. Bellman, who lias returned to his father's homo after 14 years in New Zealand, was able to give Kotariaus ail excellent account of the conditions prevailing in the dominion. Referring to tlio visit of the official delegation appointed by the Overseas Settlement Committee, Mr Pettman said ho was glad the party included a Labour member. His presence promised to bo Very useful, having- regard to some of the views on migration expressed by others of Ids own party; and it might be that Mr Wignall would ho ablo to assure them that migration did not connote banishment to an alien land. lie might also he ablo to tell them that those who wished to correct the impression that the dominions offered opportunities of easy wealth without effort bad sometimes gono too far in describing the hardships of life overseas. It seemed to bo a common idea, said Mr Pottman, that the only market New Zealand had was to be. found in Great Britain; that as land became settled, production would increase and cause a glut in Great Britain which would react unfavourably on those who made their living oif the laud. This was a mistaken . idea. Great Britain was not the only market New Zealand had. America, Japan, China, and Continental countries were clamouring for her produce; in fact, Japan had seen lit to establish a connection between Australia and New Zealand and the Fast; and a regular service of Japanese steamers now traded between those countries. The New Zealander, however, wanted to see the Empire self-supporting, ami they gave preference to Empire goods. Mr Pettman gave an accurate presentation of the conditions for migration, clearing away a number of fallacies that arc apt to be found among people of this country. Ho asked that Empire settlement should not bo regarded as a policy of exile. Ho went out there not knowing a single person in the dominion, but he readily found himself quite at home as he landed, and he had left behind some of the truest and staunchest friends anyone could have. He would go so fur as to say that a Margatonian going to New Zealand would not find himself half such a stranger as if he went to Glasgow’, and a .Scotsman would feel more at home in Dunedin than in Birmingham! or Coventry. SOCIALISM IN THE DOMINION. In a current number of the Patriot a statement from Now Zealand is published describing the fight against Communism carried on by the ‘■Welfare’’ League. In this it is mentioned that for some time the leading members of the Labour Party were most pronounced in their sympathies with Bolshevism and made many utterances of the most extreme character. “This last 12 months the party has been playing the good boy. Without abating- it jot of the Socialist, Syndicalist, and eemi-Comrnuiiiat doctrines m its platform and conference decisions, it is posing ag being an advanced Liberal or Democratic Party. It is aiming to capture power by generalised professions of great humanity, but the exercise of that power, if it succeeds, will bo a drive towards Communism and disaster. It is the sumo trick of political deception as you find being played in England.’’ After showing what the New Zealand Labour Party stands for, the writer goes on to say that the party aims at the nationalisation of practically the whole economic interests and of placing the direction and control of industries in the hands of fhe operatives’ unions. ‘‘ File distinction hero between Socialism and Communism is not perceivable to sane people. Nothwitlistanding (be fact that both the aved political party and ’the Industrial Alliance are at present garbed in immaculate political dress suits and observing all the constitutional decencies, wo are convinced that the most serious dangers confront New Zealandfrom the subversive forces which arc variously named avadical, Socialist, Communist, and Industrial Unionist. The ‘Welfare’ League is seeking by constant stirring of the public mind to keep it from going to sleep, which would bo fatal.” NEW ZEALAND STATE INSURANCE. The Insurance Record finds the report of the New Zealand Government Life Insurance Department tor 1922 of more than usual interest because Mr J. H. Richardson (now retired from the post of Commissioner) reviews the progress of the department from IS9O to date. He is naturally justly proud of the achievements which he is able to record. Copious statistical extracts arc given from the report. PENNY ALL THE WAY. Coincident with the opening of the Imperial Conference, New Zealand (writes Mr E. J. Melville, the well-known authority on stamps) has taken the load in a return to penny postage. T his progressive dominion, he says, has been in the forefront of postal reform and progress throughout the present century, and the only penny postage she has recognised has been not, merely inland, not just Imperial, but ‘‘universal.” Mr Melville has among bis treasured philatelic possessions the greetings of Sir Joseph Ward, postmarked ■■Wellington, 0.0 a.m., 1 JA, 01. N.Z.” Writing of the Postmaster-general of that time, Mr Melville says: “Sir Joseph Ward was sanguine of the success of the scheme (universal penny postage), and estimated that the revenue would be recovered in two and abalf years; it Was actually recovered before two years elapsed. It was proved again that a reduction of postage does not make business linns try to save postage, Put leads them to use the postal service more extensively. The introduction of universal penny postage in the colony (as it was then) was cleverly engineered and widely advertised. A specially-designed postage stamp was ordered from London, and Sir Joseph Ward desired the Agent-general in London to secure the services of Sir Edward Poynier to design the stamp. Unfortunately the president of the Royal Academy was ill at the time, and could not undertake the task, which was then entrusted to Mr Guido Bach, and the engraving of dies and plates was undertaken by Messrs Waterlow _ and Sons. “The career of this penny stamp during 2? years of extensive use presents a far wider range of variety than it is possible to detail in (he space at my disposal. In this it has the merit of providing the philatelic enthusiast with a very large field -if study at insignificant cost. ' Although some of the varieties are quite scarce, the stamp is obtainable cheaply hy the thousand, iml the persevering philatelist can find ’most of the varieties by hunting for them amongst such lois. To conclude the record of New Zealand's plunge into the widest, form of penny postage yet achieved, it should be mentioned that a number of other countries objected to rereiving letters from New Zealand on which onlv a penny postage had been paid. Under ’(lie terms of the Universal Postal Union Convention such an innovation could not be made without the consent of the other countries being first obtained. But Sir Joseph Ward stood his ground; his hardest task was lo yet Australia to accent nennv letters from New Zealand while the inland letter rate in Australia was still 2d. He amt over tins difficulty hv still charging Now Zealanders the Id universal rate: but on letters going to Australis, tbe New’Zealand Post Office affixed additional penny Stamps without charge to the sender, and shortly afterwards Australia gave way. So satisfied was New Zealand with the success of her universal penny postage scheme that Sir Joseph Ward was instructed to propose the general introduction of universal penny Postage at the Postal Union Congress at, Rome in 1906, but only (lie United States, Australia, and Egypt voted in favour.”