THE WAVE OF SOCIALISM

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 30

THE WAVE OF SOCIALISM

" Has the marked advance of Socialism created* any strong impression on the public mind at Home?" was the next question put by the reporter. "The success of the Socialist candidates in recent elections," was the reply, "has created consternation throughout the TJnitad Kingdom, and undoubtedly the feeling obtaining in Britain when I left was that the- time had come for statesmen to forget the strife of party and unite in an exposure of the fallacies of Socialism and in an attempt to stop the Socialistic trend of opinion among the working classes. New Zealand was being kept under close obseri ation a,s a country where legislation has strong Socialistic tendencies, and it cannot be questioned that our Dominion is no kiuger looked on as g. suitable field for

the investment of British capital. Canada and Aigentina are now the principal spheres for the employment of the surplus ■wealth of the Mother Country, and are also attracting many of the best of her sons. With respect to our Labour Arbitration laws, only one opinion nj-ovails at Home, and that is that they are inequitable, since they can, under present conditions, be enforced against the employer only. Until the workers' unions are possessed of substantial funds of their own, funds that will be sufficient and available to satisfy any judgment that may be given against the workers, there can, indeed, le no guarantee to employers that they will be able to carry on their businesses successfully. The interposition of the President of the Board of T rade in the recent railway dispute has had the effect of placing tho relations between capital and labouat Home on a far sounder and more equitable footing than results from the operation of the New Zealand laws." ARGENTINA : ITS POSSIBILITIES. "You visited the Argentine, Mr Johnetone. What opinion did you form concerning it?" asked tho reporter. " Yes, I visited the Argentine Republic on my way Home, and found that country of great interest. The enormous extent and resources of tho Republic are perhaps not appreciated hero, and I have prepared a table which, I believe, will be of interest to your readers, showing how it compares with Australia, Canada, and our own Dominion : —

" The Argentine Republic possesses a large area of fiscal lands, as they are called, which, according 1 to the law, may be disposed of — (1) For the establishment of agricultural centres or colonies; (2) for the establishment of cattle-raising colonies; (3) for sale by public tender; (4) for letting or leasing. The *£ga available under these heads is, roughly, 320,000 square miles, or, cay, three times the total size of New Zealand. At one time the Argentine was considered too unstable in government to be a safe field for the investment of British capital, but this feeling appears to have been largely overcome, and there is an enormous amount ot British money sunk in the oountry. It is now felt that a really serious revolution is no longer possible, as, on account of the large interests involved, Britain would be compelled to step in for the protection of her subjects' property.."

GERMANY AND BRITAIN.

The chances of a conflict between Ger- J many and Britain have formed the topic l for a good deal of disouesion of late, the ( increase of the German fleet being regarded in many quarters as directed especially against our country. " There is no doubt that this is a matter that wants careful watching by our statesmen, and we ought to relax no effort to keep our naval strength up to the two-Power standard at least. On the other hand, our trade relations with Germany are now very _ extensive, the imports from Great Britain and her possessions last year amounting to £74,050,000, while the exports to Britain totalled £66,350,000. In view of these figures, it would be a. great pity if war were to occur Between the two countries, and I do not think statesmen on either side would lightly undertake such a trial of strength as would be involved. At the same time, a powerful fleet ie an excellent diplomatic weapon, even if it never fires a shot at an enemy, and we would be foolish indeed if we allowed our advantage in naval armament to be reduced on euch considerations as these. In this connection it is worthy of notice that if the British navy continues to be financed as at present, it is very probable that in the near future it will not only be impossible to maintain it at a strength equal to any other two Powers, but that it will prove beyond our resources to keep it at a one-Power standard^

We have Germany with a population of 60,000,000 increasing at fhe rate of 700.000 per annum, and the United States with a population of 80,000,000 increasing at the rate of about 1,500,000 per annum. Against this Great Britain can show a population of only a little over 40,000,000 increasing at the rate of 400,000 per annum. Germany and ' the United States are both highly organised, and the present outlook is that before very long they will both be as wealthy per head of population-- as ia Great Britain. Owing to their much greater numbers this will mean that their aggregate wealth will greatly exceed that of Great Britain. It seems certain that they have both determined on a policy of naval expansion, and they will soon both be able to outbuild Britain by sheer weight of wealth and population. If the British navy is to maintain its present position it to me absolutely necessary that its 'finances should be organised on a different basis. The navy ought to be made the concern of the whole British Empire, and not of Great Britain alone.

Argentina. Australia. Canada. New Zealand. Area (square miles) 1,140.017 2,946,691 3,456,383 104,751 Population . ." 5,672,191 4,062,169 5,371,315 948,699 Density of population, inhabitants per square mile* . 4 97 (1905) 1.36 (1901) 1.36 9.08 Annual increase in population over 12 years 3.36 1.88 1.11 2.5 (1905) (1906) over Immigration .. .. .. .. «. 221,622 — 250,000 — Exports. 1905— Wheat (tons) 2,868.281 660,219 — 25,903 Wheat (value) .. - £17,176,628 £4,174,128 £2,580,571 £144,374 Wheat (1908 estimate) .. £30 000,000 — — — Maize (tons) . . . 2.222,289 practioally nil practically nil practically nil Maize (value) £9,267,480 — — — Maize (1908 estimate) . £10,000,000 — — -•- Linseed (tons) .. .. 654.792 practically nil practically nil practically nil Linseed (value) , £5,246,770 — — — Flour (tons) 144.760 154,317 33.036 448 Flour (Value) _, .. .. £1,074,739 £1,161,791 £1.224,501 £3,625 Timber (value) * . . £1,425.066 £1,027,368 £6,924,100 £321,159 Wool (value) £12,862,585* £39,644,437 £87,203 £5,381,333 Frozen meat, horses, (live stock) cattle, sheep, etc. . . £28,208.597 £1,553,894 £2,366,868 £2,694,432 Summary of exports ..£64,568,768 £56,361.7811 £42,357,682 . £13,409,594 Summary of imports . . £41,030,884 £38,825,985 £53,496,184 £12,481,178 Railways (working, miles) 12,733 15,078 20,487 2,407 * Germany, whoso population may he considered of normal denaity, carries 269.9$ to the square mile. On this basis, Argentina oould support over 300,000,000 inhabitants. + Argentina prodtices 25 pet cent, of the world's clip of wool. + Gold included.