THE GROWTH OF SOCIALISM

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2215, 12 June 1908, Page 1

THE GROWTH OF SOCIALISM

B.KPLY TO MINISTERIAL SPEECHES.

.Mr Tom Mnnn, tho woll-lcnown, Socialist Leader, was interviewed in Christchurch tho' other day by a “Lvttolton Times” reporter. Asked whether ho would care to announce tho attitude of tho Socialist Party in New Zealand towards the Premier’s condemnation in his AVaimato speech of tlio .principle of, land nationalisation, Mr Mmh said that it was .possibles that the premier’s remarks wore addressed, not against the organised .Socialist Party generally, but he had no objection to giving' tho (Socialist aspect of tho matter. The particular point made by the Premier, as to the difficulty of financing .the hind and other monopolies, was to The Socialist a matter of small concern. As tho Premier appeared to have made direct reference to Soci ili-sts,- lie might ho permitted to say that not only in New Zealand, but even more in each; of the other civilised countries, &o-. ciadism was in the ascendant. The growth of the movement involved, beyond any question, tho .ultimate socialisation of the agencies of wealth, production upon an educational campaign. In New Zealand and 'elsewhero thoy-wore spending their , efforts to bring about a more efficient industrial organisation than thing that now obtained. In the .first placo, it iwps 'sought To -widen the bis is of oxisting trades 'Unions. At present, in a trade such as that of tho metal-workers they had the Engineers’ Union, tho Boilermakers’ Union, the Moulders’ Union, and so on, working under separate awards, terminable at different times, and each controlling its own funds. That made concerted action in such a trade impossible, and it was desirable that while each sectional union should be allowed to control sudli of its funds as were used for “Friendly Societies” purposes, they should unite and pool their funds and their energies'so far as economic and industrial affairs wore concerned. That would also bring about the organisation and classification of every class of worker, irrespective of skill or sex. Those im-

proved industrial organisations would je used 1 primarily as educational instruments to inculcate class-conscious-ness and tho necessity for tho com-

plete supersession of the c ipitalistic system of Socialism. So far as lie was able to gauge tho situation, try-

ing to understand what was submitted,- in tho way of programmes for the coming elections, ho had been unable to find anything submitted by any Cabinet Minister,, recognised politician, or journal of standing that would warrant any workman in placing reliance for the solving of social problems upon the schemes put forward by any of those orthodox institutions. The Socialist Party was not perturbed b.v any difficulties which might present themselves to the minds of those who claimed to be practical statesmen. It was its function to act as a critic of every section which supported the continued domination of tho present plutocracy, and from its stand-point ail sections of orthodox politicians were consciously, or unconsciously, supporters of the dominant ruling class. Asked what impressions he had formed as to-tho progress of the Socialist movement in New Zealand, Mr Mann said-that, as compared with the reception which was accorded to so cialist.ic views six years ago, there, was certainly in most places a greater receptiveness, and on tho part of those whom' he might class as'the “intellectuals,” including men of all sections of tho community To whom the term might be fairly applied, he had been.-unable to find opposition ' of any sort to the tenets of (Socialism. light at least acquiesced in the statement that-it was coining, and coming quickly, too. Tho Socialists had taken properly to heart the words “in patience possess ye your souls,” and they were not disheartened bv torn-' pora-ry fluctuations. In referencoto the Arbitration Act, and tho Attorney-General’s recent speech at Wanganui, Mr Maun said that ho considered Dr Findlay had utterly failed to make out a strong ease for the Act. As ono who not only supported tho Aot by speaking and writing -favorably of it while he was in New Zealand six years ago, and for two years afterwards, lie could speak without bias; oil the matter. As the result of his experience in West Australia and in New South Wales, and the recent .developments at (Blackball, he was no longer able even to attempt to mike out a good caso for the Arbitration .and .Conciliation Acts as he had known them. At Blackball the bailiff was walking round seeking opportunities to catch a door open, so that he might seize the furniture of some striker, and in many instances tho furniture had boon seized and was now held with a View to sale. That-, as the result of the Arbitration Act, entirely irrespective of the particular incident that brought it about, was quite sufficient to create a feeling of contempt on the part of a- very large percentage of tho workers of all countries who wore watching thoso tilings. Whether it Should die by The seizure and sale- of furniture, .imprisonment of men, or attachment of wages, the enforcement of compulsory arbitration was .likely to receive decreasing support at the bands of many of tho intelligent workers. The principle of compulsory arbitration was repugnant to the Socialist, as declaring by law that the worker was only entitled to receive a portion, of what ho produced, and the principle had operated much more mischievously than he 'had at one time supposed it would. [Moreover, it had destroyed the virility of the unions, which were now for the most part covered by Arbitration Court awards. While relatively numerically strong, they wore economically exceedingly weak. The complete reply to Dr Findlay’s arguments was that it was admitted by”all, officials included, that the increase in .the price of commodities during recent years had more than counterbalanced any increase in wanes consequent upon legislation. Therefore it followed that the standard of the 'workers in New Zealand was lower now than it- was six years 'ago. while a very lirge percentige of the workers of New Zealand were not covered either by the Factories Act or the Arbitration Act. That applied (particularly to the dairying industry, including the butter factories, which in the season worked seven clays a week.