THE NATIONAL PARTY AND SOCIALISM

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 24

THE NATIONAL PARTY AND SOCIALISM

TO THE EDITOR Sir—“ Aja x” says: "Socialism means complete State ownership of production, distribution and exchange, and this means that our children will have to become State servants just as the rest of us will.” There is no great hardship in that. There are thousands who are State servants at present, and, If I observe correctly, the State situations are greatly in demand, and the persons fortunate to have these are better paid and better treated than those under a private employer. The railway servants and the tramway employees get a lot of their working outfit supplied, whereas persons working for a private employer have to supply their own outfits. As to our children having no farms or businesses under Socialism where is the produce to come from? The only difference Will be that our children will be under the State instead of under the mortgagee and the banks. The farms, above all things, ought to belong to the State. The land originaljy belonged to nobody, and therefore it ought to be utilised for the benefit of those comprising the State. This would be a godsend to some who are committing slow suicide by trying to carry more responsibility than any person has a right to do. "Ajax ” says it Is ridiculous to bring in Christianity. That sort of sentimentality is too prevalent, he says, and Christ was not a Socialist. It is quite evident that “Ajax” knows as little about Christ and Christianity as he knows about Socialism. It was Christ who said, “Be ye not many masters; one is your Master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren.” Ninety per cent, of those who speak and write —"Ajax and the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament included—do not know the real meaning of the word “ Socialism. If they were to use the word ‘spade in the same pseudo sense they would be ridiculed as illiterate ignoramuses. That which is represented as Socialism is nothing less than autocratic despotism. The Christians practised pure Socialism 1900 years ago. when “Neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things in common . neither was there any among them that lacked; for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the apostles feet; and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need; and Joses . having land, sold it and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles feet.” I would recommend "A]ax ’’ to read an article in the Otago Daily Times of May 10, page 22, entitled "Christianise Industry.”—l am, etc James Braid