THE SOCIALIST WHO BELIEVES NOT IN SOCIALISM

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 247, 18 October 1937, Page 6

THE SOCIALIST WHO BELIEVES NOT IN SOCIALISM

'pffE Hon. Walter Nash believes in Socialism, as an ism, but not as a practical doctrine. He has revealed that he has no faith in his own belief, particularly in regard to housing. The Socialist believes that the State, as such, is the better manager of people’s affairs than are the people most intimately concerned. Prepared to go that far Mr. Nash discourages the building of houses by private persons and encourages the use of public funds for the building of houses by the Government, or more correctly speaking, by a contractor chosen by the Government and equipped by the Government.

Mass buying, mass carpentering and joinery-work, group building all offer economies and these economies will permit the Government to show the private landlord how to run his business. The case seems to be cast-iron safe—on paper. On paper it is unassailable, but how will it work out in practice? Here the weakness of Mr. Nash’s faith is revealed. He refuses to permit the Government to stand in the same position as the private owner in the matter of the payment of rates. When the houses are empty no rates will be paid by the Government on such empty houses and the private owners will be called upon to pay the share which the Government should have contributed. How would such financial art;}ngements work if there were no private owners? Obviously it would not work at nil. It would not be running the house-owning and letting business by the principles of accountancy but by expediency. Hut why this lack of faith on the part of Mr. Nash? Why this unwillingness to accept the challenge which such a situation offers a.id reveal < .co and for all whether the Government can be a better landlord than the private owner? The answer is obvious, Mr. Nash does not believe in what he professes. He is a Socialist who does not believe in Socialism to the extent that he is willing to put it to the test on fair terms.