ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

New Zealand Tablet, 21 August 1919, Page 17

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS

Urenui-ite.—We know that Cardinal Moran's paper ... is not as interesting to all as a story. Wait a little ~_..-: longer, and you will have Willie Reilly, ,- : Schoolman.—Socialism is a very vague thing at present. It is as hard to define as the essential creed for an Anglican. Robert Blatchford says that the root idea of Socialism means two things: "(1) That the land and all the machines, tools, and buildings : used in making things, together with all the canals,rivers, roads, railways, ships, and-trains used in moving needful things, and all.the shops and markets, scales, weights, and money. used, in selling or dividing the necessary things shall be "the-property -of the people; (2) that the land, tools- machines', trams, rivers, ships, scales, money, and "all-the things belonging to the people shall be worked, managed, divided, and used by. the people in such a way as the greater number of the people shall deem wise." When the majority of the people have become clothed with the nature of angels it might work. We are not there yet. & J.G.—The limits of State interference are thus defined by Leo XIII. : (1) It is the province of the State to consult for the common good : (2) the foremost duty of the rulers of the Stat© should be to make sure that the laws, institutions, the character and administration of the commonwealth shall be such of themselves as to realise public well-being and private prosperity: (3) the State must not absorb the individual or the family, but should be allowed free and untramelled action so far as is consistent with the common good and the interests of others ; (4) whenever the general interest of any particular class suffers, or is threatened with mischief which can in no other way be met or prevented, the public authority must step in to deal with it.