THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1893. NEW AUSTRALIA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2474, 9 March 1893, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1893. NEW AUSTRALIA.

THERE ia a movement on foot in Australia at the present time which bears a striking analogy to the Icelandic emigration to which we recently referred. Shortly after the strikes in 1890 somebody suggested that the working men of Australia should form themselves into a 00-operative Association and go to South America, where they could take up land. Nobody took much notice of this at the time. It was regarded as bounce, intended to frighten the capitalists, but it appears that the idea was taken up heartily and that it is likely to be carried into effect. Agents were sent to South America to make arrangements, and we now learn that they have secured 450,000 of land on condition that they will settle -2W9 people on it. # A Mr McNaught is at pvoaotii t,-J7;y;issing Australia for shareholder in the i***(HisM] company, and he recently stated that las .only had 2000—the required numburwbiji 7600 .shareholders, and that therefore the scheme vita practically established. This undoubtedly in ii *«rfy .bold step, and not one to be looked at witti iws.nj7S of pleasure, tu Australia we want moii> ft<p l }~ lnthn\, and it is not at all pleasing to see I the ftovyer of our young men leaving in thousands fijb? this. But what can the young men do? T&ey are anxious to make' homes for them&ejyfis, #j;,d wherever they turn they find themselves *s■<?.«&<s *' v the large capitalists, who give theJH n r >| chance of settling on the laud. The conn- j try is already mapped out in large estates, and tli» jioop man has no means of getting any of it fry fettle on. It may be said that land is anywhere, and that people can easily &U ft. if they have the money to buy it. That is f but at what price ? They can certainly \ g&i ia.vd at from £lO to £2O an acre, but how caw. a poor man secure a home for himself at such fi%&s ! I* is absolutely impossible for working niC£.£o do it, and very few farmers' sons can mafcc. &ornes tor themselves while prices remain zo hiwli. Put we are afraid that the New ' Australia will not be a success. The proposal is Ac manage the land on the co-operative or socialistic plan, and we doubt whether it will be a ,success. Eobert Owen, the great Welsh philan- ( thropist, spent over £60,000 on similar' enterprises, &n 4 they all failed. He established socialistic communities in England, Scotland, and Ireland, even in America, but they all failed in the; course of time. The Irish community j was the most successful of all, but circumstances over which Owen had no control eventually destroyed it, and it was so with all the others. Several similar attempts Jiave been from

time to time, and they must fail unless they are under State control. It is impossible, or, at any rate, next to it, to manage such concerns as private enterprises, for the reason that all the members of any community cannot agree on all points. There are always indolent, improvident, envious, disagreeable people to be counted with, while the greedy and avaricious have also to be remembered. In private enterprises, where all are equal, these qualities must come into play, and create dissensions and disagreements, which must lead to undesirable results. Under State control the thing would be different altogether. The law would be behind the State officers, who could enforce order, but no such power can be invoked in a private enterprise. It is true that State officers would maintain order in private enterprise.!, but tiiey could not prevent the members of a co-operative society splitting up into sections and pasting resolutions dissolving the concern. It is not our intention, however, to follow this subject further. We only desire to show that there is a great difference between State control and private control, and that while a system might be worked satisfactorily by a whole nation it would be a failure as a community, where all would be equal. We do not think, therefore, that the proposed settlement in South America will solve the socialistic programme. Apart from the considerations stated above, the Governments of South Ameri&an States are most unreliable. There are frequent revolutions in these countries, and there is no stability about them. Without doubc, however, New Australia, as the settlement is called, will be a great success for the first few years. The men will enter on the work enthusiastically while everything is fresh and new to them, and so long as they go on at that rate they will succeed. It is only in after years, when they begin to gee envious of such as are appointed to offices, and some neglect their work while others are working, that the dissensions will arise. In the meantime we anticipate we shall hear most encouraging reports from the new settlement, while ii is possible that many of our youths wili be inveigled to throw in their lot there. Let us prepare for this, and give our young men means of settling at home. This can only be done by compulsory settlement of large estates, and we trust that the people will keep this in mind. The present Government have gone a long way towards that, and we believe they are ready to go farther if the country is ready to back them. It is therfore the duty of everyone to support and encourage them, and to do everything they possibly can to root our people to the soil of jtfew Zealand. We have one of the finest spots in the world, and we ought to leave nothing undone to make it the flower of the earth. It is at present one of the most prosperous countries in the world, and if we mind what we are doing, and keep the present Government in power, it will long continue to be so.