Public Opinion SOCIALISM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 151, 29 June 1932, Page 6

Public Opinion

SOCIALISM

Sir, “Marcus Janies” challenges us to give details where any country has been made happier by a century’s progress.: If he realty means ‘‘happier,” then we cannot give any instance, because happiness depends on so many things. A man may be much better off in his style of living, have dozens of items added to his daily consumption for no more expenditure and yet not be any morv content or happy. Indeed it seems that most people are less happy as they become better off. Each individual has his own ideas of happiness. To-day in New Zealand for instance, we can name men who find happiness in get ting away from the trammels of modern civilisation, so long as they can earn or have enough to buy flour, tea, sugar and tobacco they are content to vegetate in a whare provided they can supply themselves with fish, flesh and vegetables by their own efforts. Excluding the Marxian policy, we take it that ideal Socialism now, or at any other time, means broadly: (1) Tho elimination of private enterprise and its supersession by State enterprise (2) State ownership in place of private ownership of land and capital (3) abolition of competition and (4) equalisation of human conditions. This seems to be a fair summary of the aims of Socialists if any reliance can bo placed on their speeches and writing and it. is this broad Socialism that we refer to when we say it has been tried and has never succeeded. It was tried in ancient Greece, but human nature made it unworkable, as it has made many subsequent attempts to establish this ideal community. Even in Russia, where they started out on the Socialism based on the Marxian class dictatorship, they have had to beat a retreat on many points beaten by human nature. However, it is waste of your valuable space to discuss this until we know what “Marcus James” means by “Socialism as it is understood today.” As to its being “general knowledge” that the present system is in tho hands of Jewish financiers —we would correct your correspondent and say that many people make that gen eral assertion without any real knowledge to back it up with. Your correspondent asks us to answer the five questions in his previous letter. So far as wars are concerned, history shows us that Sparta in Ancient Greece was the nearest approach to the ideal Socialist state yet it was constantly at war. Primitive savages who practice a form of com inunism or Socialism are no more peaceful than those who do not. There is no evidence to prove that under Socialism there would be fewer wars so long as nations remain separate. So far as monopolies are concerned Socialism itself is State monopoly, under our present system monopolies soon cease to bo so by competition. Sweating has been and is being steadily fought and put down under our present system. ’I ho distribution of wealth (that is things, or the ability to purchase things) is going on steadily under our present system and making enormous strides. Statistics prove this. As to whether a new post (whatever is meant, by that) should be established in New Zealand, it does not affect the success or otherwise of our present system from a world point of view. The last question asks how wc propose to improve the present position. So far as this is caused by a financial system we, like most other earnest thinkers, believe the matter is one for international action and we see how any local conjuring with finance can influence the market prices abroad upon which our prosperity depends. But having arrived at a solution ot tho financial causes, we repeat what we said originally namely that “capital” and “Labour” should get together and devise a method bv which a more equitable division of the p eeeds of private enterprise can be "your'" correspondent overlooks the fact that we stated that the fault, is on both sides, but it has remained for organised Labour in En S Trade Union Congress-to declare against all efforts to arrive at a soln X With them it is not eo-opera ion to get a fair division, it *’ a " nl ™ of the other side so as to S c b To e arrive at real co-operation will past faults correspondent imX" t’lXnly one side has faults to cure, and this is not correct. Me are, e^C ' M.Z. WELFARE LEAGUE. Wellington. .Tune 17, 1 1 * 32 -,