COMMUNISM IN LAND.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 9571, 14 December 1881, Page 2

COMMUNISM IN LAND.

(Asbburton Guardian.) if The distinction drawn by MrWasoiil| his recently published speech bet^m Liberalism aud Communism is a vßj accurate one, and one absoluiSg necessaiy for every one to bear.R! mind who wishes to hold clear v«W respecting party politics in the Aust^j lian colonies. An able writer in o DS H| the leading British reviews recently^ marked that, though extreme Eai^B ism did not of necessity imply Om^ munisin, it was somehow always B sociated with it. This has been H| ticularly the case at this part of W| world, because so large a proportionß the people have had or have wisbedM have transactions with regard to I&C with the Government. Indeed, "Lib*™ ism," as it is called here, is in its nfl recent phase nothing more or less tnUi Communism. It either means or it means nothing at all. In loofej| back to the past, it pours forth its .^^H wearied jeremiads on the acquisition™ large tracts of land as freehold P^Pflj ties by runholders and other capitali^B in looking forward to the future, i^^W Jerusalem consists in a state in ff^B all large estates, and, indeed, all 60S ones, too, are to be " burst up " tyfß process of heavy penal taxaßjß " Liberalism " is a horse of a tot^yfH ! ferent [colour. The term arose members of the highest aristocracy ■ Great Britain made concessions on W half of themselves and their order to Wj just demands ot the people at large- V latest example was when the P reS ffi Premier of New Zealand proposed, *• other landowners in New Zealand s j[ ported, the imposition of a property tfl on all property owners alike. ■

v, with regard to Communism in nud its remaining altogether in the of the State, we believe, following Spencer, and other eminent men, a the abstract this doctrine is a ighly sound one, and that no land 6 colony or elsewhere ought ever re been sold out and [out. But unately in the early days of our al history, everyone thought ntly. The shining lights of ilisiu, Sir George Grey, Mr Macif, Mr Montgomery, and Mr ad were fully as eager to get the Ids of Government land sold and y them themselves as were Mr md Mr Whitaker. The bargains made by the State, the land was md the money was paid. To asow that tho State is to avail itself own wrong and to cancel the us it made without making com,ion is as monstrous as it would be c State, after Mr Ivess has paid ■>nse money to act as an aucl Tit liiiend down some day and oiiAioi'tlie goods from his rooms, c ground that auctioneering is an ral trade, and one tending to the eration of the excellencies of comics. In the early days of the r's history the State, and, to use urent foolish phrases, both Tories iberals alike were only too anxious [ land to all who would buy. The ry cannot now, by a side-wind iate its own bargains. Besides, in many instances, perhaps in the ity, the present holders of landed 6, Jlarge or small, are persons who not possibly have been parties to rrong committed by the original users, as these 1 ands have, with all assent of the State passed rh several different hands before g into the hands of the present the main, the cry for " bursting rgo estates " by heavy taxation is y an indication of the meanest and dishonesty ; the motive is no than that of the street thief, whose ive to action is " You have ; I not." It is possible, however, i some few instances, this outcry ulged on the ground that without radical reform of the kind proposed sttleinent of the country cannot go kny such fear as that is indeed dless. In the Premier's recent i at Leeston, the audience were led of the significant fact that at ■escnt t'mo, besides the land in the of private owners desirous to sell se, there are eight million acres of i lands open for settlement in alevery way by auction sale for cash, il'ened payments, as village settlei, or on lease as runs, and that in on to all this, in a very short time, ! runs in Otago and Southland will rowu on the laud market. Even essity, the tyrant's plea," cannot nsly be urged in this case for the ry of landowners, whom the State, years back, asked to purchase of it.