SOCIALISM.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13597, 18 May 1908, Page 3

SOCIALISM.

To Iho J kl'stor of tho " Tiniai u Herald." Sir, —In your issin? of the 14th just., under tho heading of "Socialism," your correspondent, Thos. Thomson. indulges in the t line-honored practice—so frequently employed by ignorant or unprincipled opponents of progress or reform, —of building up a man of straw, and forthwith proceeding to demolish it. It, is not necessary to point out tho glaring untruths, in the letter referred to. to anyone acquainted with the rudiments of Socialism, but lost .some of your readers, as ignorant of tho subject as T. Thomas is. may be led astray, I propose to indulge myself in few "contradicitions. Briefly then, Socialists arc not. "cut-throats," mild-mannered or otherwise, nor do they propose "voting £5 per week"—or any other sum •to vach other.' Neither do their schemes embrace any proposals to interfere with the " dew of heaven, the gentle light, etc" ;u; >i r Thomson seems to imply, while as tot th<- "destroyer' or "terrorist," Socialists are di;mietrically opposed to all such methods of physical force. Tha sentence "their attempts to obliterate everything, that. is sacrod and good" can only lie characterised as a base calumny on Socialism. I cannot. attempt t/> deal with the principles of Socialism in vour correspondency columns, but the definition of Socialism, as "an economic based on tho collective ownership of land, means of production and distribution." is generally regarded as correct. Socialists desire that every human lx-irig be well-led. well-housed, well-clothed, and well-educated. They want the adoption of ,i social ami industrial system that will put an end to profits, rents, interest, and usurv being secured by individuals. They believe in the elimination of the useleiss and unproductive labour, which is so promineut a feature of the comjjetitive system. They contend that every person of ptiiUible age, physically and mentally efficient, should work. T.liey want, no child labour, and every worker to receiivo the full value of his or her labour. They arf* striving to achieve these rights by agitation, education, oiganisatiion. and the jiitvlligent use of the ballot—not by cutting throats, not even that of the individual popularly known as Tommy Tliomson. in conclusion, if Mr Thomson or any other •' of your readers, desires to study Socialism', let me recommend a few authors—KarlMarx, Blatchford, liyndman, Suthers, John Buskin. Wallace. Prince Krol>otkiii. Morris, Bernard Shaw, H. G. Wells, Upton Sinclair, and lastbut not least, the teachings of .Je.MU of Nazareth. Also, T would advi.-v- the perusal of several articles .published in the "Lyttelton Times" recently —"ln peril of poverty,", by T. K. Taylor. 1 will be pleased to lend some of above. Thanking you for your indulgence.—l am, etc.. GEO. T. IvOLLER.