THE OBJECTIVE OF LABOUR SOCIALISTS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 787, 9 April 1910, Page 4

THE OBJECTIVE OF LABOUR SOCIALISTS.

We have not heard much lately through the Press Association telegrams of Me. D. M'Laeen, " M.P., who has been touring the country as an advocate of a general Federation of Labour for New Zealand. It would perhaps be incorrect' to say that the.Wellington public is greatly interested in Mb. M'Laeen, but in a speech at Dunedin last week, to which the Otago Daily Times, for no reason that we.can discern, gave almost as much space as is usually given to a speech by the Peime Minister the member for Wellington East expressed some opinions that we may be excused for considering very briefly. "The workers," he said, "were up against Capitalism.' To a very large extent social institutions were dominated by that class. Ho would never speak disrespectfully of religion, but he did say that often on the social side of the Church it did seem to be used to the disadvantage of the worker. The press, the social institutions, and the platform, to. some extent, were closed against them. The struggle was one of tho mass against the class, which, was seeking to monopolise the fruits of tho workers' daily toil and keep the people in subjection." We are bound to believo that Me. M'Laeen was expressing his true convictions when he gavoutterance to these opinions, but it is quite incredible that the average wqrkingman can have any patience.with such rubbish. It is surprising that Me. M'Laeen, who ought to know what workingmen think, should imagine that in order to make an impression it is only necessary to talk extravagant _ nonsense in a loud voice. Eater in hisspeech he led up toa frank advocacy of unqualified Socialism by making quite the most remarkable attack upon what he understands by individualism that we have ever heard of. Socialism, he had heard it said, was impracticable. "But viewing the past, he wished to know whether they would consider individualism practicable. He refused to believe in it because'of its impracticability"! It would have been surprising, therefore, if he had not followed up this expression of sturdy unbelief with a denunciation of the "desire for the building up of wealth" as "a demoniao disease."

It is the concluding passage of his speech which seems to us to call for special notice. It reads as follows: — "Socialism means the Socialism (sic) of wealth in the interest of the whole community. Socialism is the only term which clearly defines what the purposo of our ambition is. We must consolidate Labour with the clear purpose that our object is to seek the Socialism of the wealth of our country in tho interests of the whole of the people of our community." Nothing could be more profitless than, the expenditure of time and space on an argument with Me. M'JjAEEn as to the results that would follow "the socialising of the wealth of our country." We, at anyrate, Rave neither the time nor the space for such an enterprise. But it is desirable that the public should know exactly what it is tha.t the leaders of the "Labour movement" desire, and' for what purposes the Federation of. Labour will be used should it come to be_ established. The workingmen of this country are in the main not Socialists at all. One might search for a long time before finding a Socialist who has a family and who brings home his wages every Saturday. The best antidotes to the virus of Socialism are a family and a job. It is not the married workingman whom one finds advocating Socialism, but, as a rule, the thoughtless fanatic or the ex-workingman who is gifted with a loud voice and a fluent tongue. Nothing is more certain than that the' Socialists cannot obtain control of the nation's fortunes. But a great deal of harm can be done by a Labour party organised with unqualified Socialism as its objective. Such a party can exercise a steady and constant pressure which will secure all kinds of concessions from any Government that places its own interests above the interests of tbe nation. Our present Government will resist the extreme demands of the Socialists, but it will in, the long run, by repealed' concessions, concede the greater part of the Socialist' programme, taking credit to iteelf at the same time for opposed to "revolutionary Socialism." Mr. Kbir Hardie, as a veteran Socialist campaigner, expressed himself as quite satisfied _with' New. Zealand, which, he said, was progressing splendidly towards tne goal: Mr. M'Laren has placed the country under an obligation by his frank announcement of the objects sought by the party the support of which has kept "Liberalism in power and is still relied upon by the present Government.