NEW AUSTRALIA.

Otago Witness, Issue 2087, 22 February 1894, Page 23

NEW AUSTRALIA.

Mr Peter M'Naught, deputy-chairman of the New Australia Co-operative Settlement Association, gave an address in the Choral Hall o.n Friday night on the economical and ethical basis of the movement with which he is connected. Mr D Pinkerton, M H.R., presided, and Messrd W Earnshaw, M.H.R., R. Slater, Judge, and Rhodda occupied seats on the platform. There were also over 200 other persons present. Mr M'Naught, who is rather a forcible speaker and appeared to be very enthusiastic about the project with regard to which he spoke, kept his audience thoroughly interested for about an hour and a-half, and was frequently applauded very heartily. He commenced by referring to the feelins of unrest created by the unemployed difficulty, which was the distinguishing feature of our age, and pointed out that not only in English-speaking countries but throughout Christendom the unemployed were becoming more and more in evidence. Even llew Zealand, the most favoured of all countries, he went on to say, had its unemployed question, and in Australia there were some 40,000 to 50,000 men willing to work and yet could not find work. To prove that he was right in saying that New Zealand was going from good to worse he could bring into court the editor of the Daily Times, who in a recent article admitted that things were different now from what they used to be, because five men had vow to be content with what four formerly got. There was evidence at once that the working man had to put up with one-fifth less to-day than he had to a few years ago. Why was this? He ought to get more, seeing that he was now a more efficient wealth producer than he was 10 years ago — (applause) — and instead of having one-fifth less he ought to have one-fifth more. So he need not waste time to prove his case that there was sufficient ground for trying to bring about a New Australia. The promoters of the movement were discontented with the conditions of life that obtained in Old Australia, and, indeed, in the whole of what was called the civilised world, and so they desired to live under new conditions. They were determined, so far as they were able, to bring about upon the half million of acres of land that had been given to them opportunities for all men there to work without asking anybody's permission. — (Applause.) It had taken the movement five or six years to reach its present stage. Now a constitution had been formed, and they had been successful in getting a block of half a million acres upon which to try this experiment of voluntary co-operation, without injuring

a living soul, in order that they might redeem themselves aud teach an object lesson to others to go and do the same thing. This half million of acres they were going to " nationalise," and no man would have more right to it than another. They also proposed to say that not only should the community own the land in common, but that they should also own tbe capital in common, because it was rnoro economicn.l to use it together than to use it individually. In order to organise industry they proposed to elect a director of the industrial concern. Their idea of the commune was that it was necessary to have a minimum number in the settlement and also a maximum number. The miniuium must be large enough to gain that effectiveness of labour that comes from the subdivision of labour, and the maximum must be small enough to admit of sufficient control by the director. They thought that the minimum would be something like 10,800, and the maximum 20,000. The director, being the best man in the community, will say how many men are wanted to engage in different industries ; but each man would be able to choose his own occupation, which he could not do in the existing state of society. If more men wanted to engage in a certain industry than were required in that particular industry they would decide who should be engaged by drawing lots, and thus settle the difficulty without bringing in the aid of the magistrate or the peliceman. The same thing would be done with every occupation if necessary. But there was one occupation right down at the bottom that no one might want. How would they do about that ? They would simply call for volunteers to do the nasty job that no one wanted to do ; and when they did that they would get plenty of volunteers, because mankind value honour more than they value paltry pounds, shillings, and pence. When they had produced their wealth it might be asked, how did they propose to divide it ? They proposed to "share and share alike." Some might say, "That would never do. What about the lazy man?" Well he had been trying to discover that lazy man for a very long time, and had never been able to do so yet. No one would ever admit boing lazy if he were asked. It was always "the other fellow." But svipposing they got a lazy man in the community? Well, there was one thing a man could not and would not endure, and that was the contempt of his fellow man ; and if any lazy man in the community fouud that he was held in contempt for being lazy he would soon graft like a nigger to obtain the good opinion of his fellows. — (Applause.) Men in their ability to produce wealth differed no more than they did in their stature ; and that was so very little as to be practically nothing. Therefore one man was practically entitled to as much wealth as another. It might be said that they would quarrel. He admitted that they might ; but when people_ had quarrelled it was human nature to make friends again. As regarded laws, they would not make any laws to protect property, but any laws they made would be such that man could attain to the full stature of his manhood. — (Applause.) In reply to a question as to what government the New Australia settlement was under, Mr M'Naught said it was under a republican form of government. Of course they were bound to obey the laws of the Government they were under ; but they had in Paraguay one of the most perfect constitutions of a perfect democracy that existed anywhere in the world, and it seemed as if Providence had been waiting for this New Australia movement, and had guided the promoters to a country that was peculiarly fitted to graft their principles upon. On the motion of Mr Earnshaw a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer for his address, after which the Chairman announced that Mr M'Naught would deliver another lecture in Dunedin in about a week's time, when he would deal with another phase of the movement.

For some unaccountable reason — it would hardly do to suggest that the Dunedin Cup had anything to do with the matter — there was such a meagre attendance at the special meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery convened for yesterday, to consider the question of " aggressive work " in connection with the church, and the by-law proposed to bo adopted by the City Council with the view of restricting street preaching, processions, &c, that it was considered advisable to postpone the meeting for a fortnight. During the discussion that took place on the question of an adjournment, the Rev. R. R. M. Sutherland said every member of the presbytery not present might have a good and sufficient reason for his absence, but to his mind it was a simple scandal upon their church and upon their religion that the presbytery should call a meeting and that only five ministers and two elders should be in attendance. He also observed that any protest on the part of the meeting with reference to the adoption of the proposed by-law would simply be laughed at, and suggested, with an air of seriousness, that those who had not attended the meeting should be asked to submit reasons for their absence in order that the presbytery might judge of them. Weasels are very numerous in the Catlins district. Cable messages under the reduced tariffs continue to show an iucreasa The reductions came into force in January of last year, and the returns for last month show an expansion in every branch upon those of the first month of 1893. In the face of complaints as to the extortionate charges levied upon tourists by Natives at Rotorua for permission to view various sights in that district, the Government have resolved to proclaim access to the places a public road. Under the heading " Sign of the Times," the Southern Standard says : — "Eighteen years ago there were three licenspd houses in Kaitangata with a population of ouly 287 ; but now there are only two hotels, with a population cf nearly 2000. Thus, while the population has increased sevenfold, the number of hotels has decreased. Police records fhow only one ca«e of drunkenness in two year 3. Not so very many years ago, Kaifcangata was notorious as being one of the most liquor-sodden townships in Ihe colony. The contrast 'twixt then and now is refreshing." Altogether 49 applications have been received by the Crown Lands Office for land thrown open for selection en the Pomahaka Downs estate, the total number of sections applied for being 13. The sections not mentioned in our columns yesterday for which application has been made are 10 and 14-, block XIII, and section 4, block XIV. These embrace an area of 840 acres, the annual rental of which amounts to £132 ss. The total area applied for was 3007 acres, the total annual rental of the same being £517 Os lOd. It should be stated that several informal applications were received in addition to the number previously mentioned. Tho estate, we hear, has been visited by some hundreds of persons, but the general impression seems to be that the rentals have been fixed too high. The balloting for the land will take place to-day. Two railway excursion trains left Dunedin yesterday. One proceeded south to Waihola, carrying about 120 passengers, while the other, with about the same number of excursionists, went as far as Glenomaru. The cutting of the grain crops in this district (says the North Otago Times) is nearly at an end. So far the grain has suffered but little damage from the wet weather of the last few weeks. We learn that Mr Horsfall, of Victoria, has resumed his connection with Messrs Goldabrough, Morfc, and Co..