MR NEILSON’S QUOTATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21363, 17 June 1931, Page 8

MR NEILSON’S QUOTATIONS

10 rilff EDITOR Sir, —Mr Neilson, in his letter of June 9, refers us to the 20th chapter of St. Matthew. This recounts the parable of the lord of a vineyard who engaged men at one penny for working, though some worked 10 hours and others only one hour. Mr Neilson assumes from this that the parable teaches the principle that individuals in those days were paid sufficient for their needs regardless of how long they worked. As a matter of fact, the justification for the same payment for different hours of work is stated in the parable when the employer replied to the grumblers, “ Friend, I do thee no wrong; didst not thou agree with me for a penny?” Sanctity of contract — not sustenance —was the principle involved.

Mr thank Mr Neilson for directing as to this parable because it gives us further evidence that the New Testament did not teach Socialism or, as he argues, uphold Communism. The lord of the vineyard, in replying to the dissatisfied men, said, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own?” No Communist or Socialist teacher would admit such a position, for the essence of both policies is to put an end to private ownership by law or force os the case may be. All this, however, is rather beside the matter under discussion, which was whether the Pope was right in saying, “No man can be a good Catholic and, simultaneously, a true Socialist.” As the leading Socialist writers whom we quoted fully bear out the Pope’s dictum, Mr Neilson had better tackle them—l am, etc., N.Z. Welfare League. June 15.