PHASES OF SOCIALISM.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1042, 3 February 1911, Page 6

PHASES OF SOCIALISM.

.. NEW POLICIES ARISING. IBy Telegraph—Special Correspondent.* ' . ■ ■■ ;. Christchurch, February I. • Mr...James Thorn, who contested the Christchurch South seat rts a Labour candidate against Mr. H.'G.'Ell, at the last general election, and has been for' the past.year or two in England;,writesi to the • secretary of the Christchurch South branch of the New Zealand Labour Party .that lie will again contest the. seat in. the Labour interest, provided, of course, that he is the. candidate The date of -his arrival! in New Zealand will bo about the middle of. August.

. Mr. Thorn :goos on to say that a new conception of''Socialism has replaced the old'fifißboth England and on the Continent, and has necessitated the formulation of new policies. Where it used to bs'widely heW'tUßf-Bo'fiftrtisTn 'would establish itself melodramatically in human affairs immediately upon the sudden cessation of capitalism,., it is now generally accepted, that Socialism is a growth, a movement, a'gradual.and orderly, uuioldment of great human and social principles. This new conception makes it competent for its adherents to endeavour to apply Socialistic principles -to particular .situations as they develop under capitalism, and every successful application represents progress towards the ideal. resulting policy which arises from' tho acceptance ot this Inter view ( is to bo seen in the 'methods and procedure of all the great branches of the movement in Germany, where a political despotism prevails. , The Social Democrats concentrate upon the. democratisation of tlfe franchise acd of Parliamentary institutions. In.Austria, where protective tariffs have enormously increased tho cost of* living, tho Socialists concentrate upon tho abolition of tariffs. In, England, whero the Osbbrne judgment is ominous with the financial disablement . of tho Labour party, the Socialists concentrate upon its reversal. Indeed, the Socialist movement aims at shaping. the policy to meet tho peculiarity of varying conditions, as milch as it seeks ,the- overthrow of existing 60eiety. '■• ' ;_■ '•'• ••'■•' ' ■ . . "The platform ■ of. the '... New Zealand Labour ■paT'tyi"whi('h"l~" J havo carefully read, and-with which I agree," Mr. Thorn goes on. to say, '"is in many particulars mucfc more revolutionary than the Con-' tinental programme. At the:lnternational Socialist Congress at.Copenhagen, for instance, the Gorman Social Democrats condemned the. English Labour party's, right-tq-woi'lc' proposals as impossible and Utopian, jet the New Zealand Labour, party is sufficiently advanced to t believe the right-to-work proposal an essentially, practical idea." '. Mr. Thorn assess that-Now Zealand, has'been given by false andcunning leaders to political hypocrisy, to a .menacing Imperialism, and to that shallow and cynical- spirit "which corrupts public life arid refuses'to recognise most obvious human rights, and ho calls oh tho: '.'comrades' to pull .together for the : one -ideal.,. ■