SOCIALISM.

Colonist, Volume LIV, Issue 13413, 10 May 1912, Page 4

SOCIALISM.

LECTURE BY ALDERMAN E. R HARTLEY, OF BRADFORD.

Last night, at the Druids' Hall, Alderman E: ii. Hartley, of the Bradford Town Council, lectured on the above namcfd subject. Ho emphasised that Socialism was the coming force in the world, it was a prominent subject in tho newspapers, magazines, and on tho political platforms. He said the Germans wero considered tho bo;t educated people in the world, and at the last elections in that country iio less than four and a half millions 01 voters recorded their votes in favour of the Sooialigrfi candidatec. He urged that the fear of Socialism was the result-of ignorance. Everything should he devoted for the use of the people, and not for profitmaking. Ownership in land was tn© result of a selfish and greedy law, mada by greedy and selhsn men. iUi land, capital, buildings and machinery should . be owned by the people-, and snould be used for tho good or the peopia. Tho workers created capital, they built the i buildings, and they made the machinery. A large 'proportion of the inventors wero poor struggling workers, who did not reap the reward of their inventions. He gave illustrations of how the people benehttod when water supply, gas works and tramways were owned by the municipalities,; and asked, why should not food supplying be dealt with in a like manner:' Ho said tli 0 Bradford tramways formerly-wore owned by two companies, then the tram men iiad to work eighty-two hours per week, for wages ranging from lvjs vo 20s per week, and the profit accruing was £«,200 in tho companies' last year. The Bradford Corporation took over the tramways, th© men's time was reduced from 82 to 56 hours per week, their wages were increased up to 28s per week instead of £1 and they are given an annual holiday or ono week on full pay, and wero provided" with coats and footware suitable for tile winter. Alter tftese expenses wero met there was £39,000 left to be devotod towards lessening the burdens of tho ratepayers. Besides the public weiw carried further ipr a penny tare than what the companies used to charge twopence for. He emphasised that the workers made the wealth, and it should b e used for the benefit of the people. The workers were, awakening to this fact. It only wanted the workers to bo united to bring tho Socialists' programme into force, and doing away with the"" selfishness, greed, and tyranny engondcired by the creation of capital solely for the non-workers. The carrying out of the Socialist^MjogrMjMto meant the abolition of W^^^^j^^^r in answer to^^^^^^^^^V^rtley said lie believa^^^^^^^^^^Kt J "c workers hadJ^^^^^^^^^^^^Hp' s ' namely tho h^^^^^^^^^^^^^H° v~ cott. The o^^^^^^^^V' ul Gruat Britain ot coal to the c-on'i^^^^^^H^r ton, while the increJJPPppPPv-orkers was not moro than 2d per ton. was that fair? Tho non-workers, so cal.ed capitalists, might, if tho socialists pro-o-ramme be carried, be, pensioned, and then- weakly dependents be provided for Socialism, was rapidly spreading all over tho world, and its reign may ensue much sooner than many people* imagined. Unity among the workers was all that was needed._ . Another lecture will be given this evening, when "Practical Socialism will be dealt with- ■*