SOCIALISM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22066, 23 September 1933, Page 9

SOCIALISM

TO THE EDITOR. Sir—Mr P. Neilson, writing in your issue of Tuesday last, states that the objective of the Labour Party is Socialism, and then proceeds to explain what he means by this term. In your footnote to his letter, you state that Mr Neilson’s description of Socialism would be more applicable to Communism. There seems to be a great deal of confusion as to what is really meant by the word “ Socialism,” and I for one would be much obliged, and I am sure that many others among your readers would be interested, if you would grant a little space to give a definition which more accurately describes your conception of this term, —I am, etc.. Tyro.

September 21. [A definition of Socialism satisfactory either to Socialists or non-Socialists has not yet been devised. There are gradations of Socialism and there are so many different classes or types of Socialists that they themselves would not agree on a single definition. Socialism, being something that is more in the nature of a religion or a faith than a science, lends itself to such verbose descriptions as that referred to by our correspondent. Marxian or so-called scientific Socialism is, in the view of its exponents, something very far removed from Utopian or even State Socialism, again in the view of its exponents. As our correspondent remarks, there is-a great deal of confusion as to what is meant by.the word Socialism, and as this confusion has extended over a long period of time, and as there is a very wide range of highly controversial literature, it is quite impossible for us to give clarity to that which in its very nature is confusing and about which those who call themselves Socialists reveal such a divergence of opinion.— Ed. O.D.T.]