The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28. TILTING AT WINDMILLS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 250, 28 February 1911, Page 4

The Daily News. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28. TILTING AT WINDMILLS.

Mr. E. Tregear, ex-Secretary for Labor,J !»■ a remarkable man. He is poetical/ idealistic, warm-hearted and unpractical. His 'heart bleeds for his fellowman, but he has no real remedies to apply to the wounds in the soul of the under-dog. Even before Mr. Tregear was emancipated from the thralls of officialdom, he occasionally added to the' discussions that are always raging about Capital and Labor, some oratorical or written gems that left things as they were. Mr. Tregear is an honorable geiftleman who tells the truth, and at the recent farewell to him in Wellington he made some references to Imperial defence. "You are called upon," he said, "to pay taxation without representation; you have, in fact, the taxatibn without the representation that cost Bri'' tain her American colonies." Presumably, although Mr. Tregear carefully plans an argument, he, perhaps without knowing it, does not clinch it. Obviously he should have said, "As Britain lost her colonies in America because they were taxed and not represented, Britain should lose New Zealand for like reasons." Mr. Tregear said that we—that is, New Zealand—"may be dragged into war at great expense." To conclude the chopped-off argument: New Zealand should obviously refuse to be dragged into war just because Britain fights, the reason for the refusal being that "you have no interest in India, and Britain has at any rate interest on about £60,000,000, which money would certainly be forfeited if a foreign flag wero flying over Wellington." What Mr. Tregear forgot to say was that if New' Zealand—poor, little, unpeopled New Zealand—refused to be dragged into war, it would be much easier than at present for a foreign flag to be flown in Wellington. Mr. Tregear quoted a Canadian statesman as saying that it was not at all necessary that Canada should be embroiled in war if Britain were on the warpath. That is to say, Canada the moment it saw trouble brewing would withdraw from Imperial partnership, being afraid of war. At least that seems the logical conclusion of the unfinished argument. The speaker said that there was a party in Canada which believed the Dominion wonld be better off as one of a federation of American States. Presumably, such a federation would absolve Canada from the nasty position of having to grab a gun in defence of a country mostly peopled by Britons and who owe their position, their security and their wealth to Britain and British enterprise. Mr. Tregear, with splendid vagueness, prophesies war within five years, or five months, or five weeks. As .India is of no concern to New Zealand, as Canada is no concern of Britain's, as "Canada would be better off" as one of a federation of States, the obvious conclusion is that New Zealand ought to look after herself, cut out the British Navy, and stand on the shore of Poneke defying all foreigners to plant their flags ashore! But Mr. Tregear is even more delightful when he objects to the payments for Dreadnoughts which may never be used. "Supposing there is not going to be a war," said he; "are you willing to go on paying millions for Dreadnoughts in time of peace?" He had previously said that war is inevitable. He does not want war. He presumably believes that New Zealand should take no part even if there war. But he objects to pay money for warships that will prevent war. If—to pursue his unfinished argument—we must spend money on warships, let us have war. It is no good keeping a dog and barking oneself. The lecturer objected to paying money to "the scrapheaps." He quarrels with the fact that most armaments become obsolete before they have the bloom of newness worn off them. He might have finished by ■saying that the best thing to do was. I to forget to substitute new ironmongery for obsolete. The old advice about the foolishness of putting new wine into old bottles is still good. The point of Mr. Tregear's contentions appear to be contained in this sentence: "The position is one that we are bound to say something about before very much longer." That is to .say, organised labor in New Zealand—which is neither very large nor very influential, and certainly not a power within the Empire—will very shortly have to advise Britain that if Britain does not listen to it, it will refuse to help Britain when war comes. The inevitability of war is shown by Mr. Tregear: "It is absolutely certain by every law of economies, that there must be a fight between England and ftcrmanx soon." Labor in New Zealand cannot stop that war if it is coming, so labor is practically advised to allow Germany to beat Britain, if poor little New Zealand is forced to keep on paying a small portion towards the paint bill of the Navy and not getting vaguely what Mr. Tregear calls "representation." Mr. Tregear admitted that but for the Navy we might drop into the mouth of the first Power wanting us like a ripe peach. As we are not to be allowed to have the power of veto when Britain is called to arms, we should obviously re-' fuse to be called to arms ourselves. As we pay a portion of that paint bill and a few pounds to the "scrap-heap," and ■ are not getting foreign blood for it—let us cease paying the paint bill. As "the Navy is necessary to our existence." let us refuse to "'keep on eontributiiur millions to the scrap heap." To reach the heights oF safety, let us kick the ladder away. Tn order tn make the, torch of Imperialism blaze brightly, pour, cold water on it. Tf Canada wants to join a federation of republican State?, what's to prevent us joining Japan?

And, lastly, Mr, Tregear gees in the Labor-cum-Socii'ilist movement "that de-

sire for the spread of human helpfulness, and that feeling for friendship and fellowship, which is really spiritual and ideal, and without which ifeeling we shall never raise the masses." The lecturer afterwards referred to the fact that "all over the world there is industrial unrest," plainly showing that to obtain the spiritual and material uplifting of the masses, it is necessary to "industrially uprise." The universal brotherhood of man is to be achieved in some unaccountable way by refusing to help one's blood relative and by giving the other fellow every opportunity for conquest. Mr. Tregear stated that he was a deep student of economics. He apparently does not understand human nature, and his logic is not as sound as his economics.