THE SEIZURE OF PROPERTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22269, 23 May 1934, Page 11

THE SEIZURE OF PROPERTY

TO THE EITTOR. Sir, —Under the above heading,- in your issue of May 18, Mr T. Russell states that my object is to bring about an economic revolution and deprive the present owners of property of their possessions in order to distribute what is taken from them among those other members of the community to whom fate has been i less kind, and he winds up by saying: “Please God. Mr Neilson's wishes may never come true.” If in his last sentence Mr Russell uses the word “ God ” in the Christian sense then I am afraid he will find it hard to justify any claim for the individual owning any portion of the earth. As a Socialist I claim that the earth is the free gift of Nature or God, and should be held only as the common heritage of all, just the same as the sun and air are free to all, and must not be cut up and distributed among the few for private gain and the great majority have no place to set foot unless they first pay a toll ,in the form of a rent or other title for such a privilege. Private ownership of property is inherent in the present system of society. In the historical development from earlier systems this ownership has been mostly by conquest, which has entrenched itself in our present system by laws which make legal this ownership. I. claim that the laws will have to be altered so as to bring the system nearer to one of common ownership in the interests of all. I fail to see anything immoral or revolting in this. I claim, further, that what the majority decide on must be given effect to. Personally, 1 myself, now the owner, legally, of a small portion of the earth, will, as soon as a majority decide aqainst such ownership, whole-heartedly hand over my possessions to the authority which will be charged to administer the ,new dispensation to all in need. I shall be told, probably, that such is a Utopian idea, and will never be realisable. A Socialist perceives no obstacle that cannot be removed in order that a better system may be instituted. —1 am, etc., P. Neilson. [This letter has been abridged.—Ed. O.D.T.]