The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY. 1. 1916. JOHN PAYNE'S "PHILISTINE."

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 February 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY. 1. 1916. JOHN PAYNE'S "PHILISTINE."

To The Chronicle, trom Auckland; comes the initial number of "The Xotv Zealand Philistine,*' edited by John Payne, AI.P. It bears the sub-title ol "A Journal of Protest Against Had Government." In an introductory note, the editor writes that Elbert Hubbard's "Philistine ' ceased public-, at ion when Hubbard died. The Philistine is the right name lor a lighting journal, writes John Payne, AL.P., without inWiiding any disrespect to'the great Elbert, "The Philistine", will serve as the title for a .New Zealand •'lighting journal." The Philistine is dead. The Philistine lives. Long live The Philistine. Continuing his note, the member tor Grey Lynn says:—ihe politics 01 -Now Zealand are in the melting pot just now. No less than ninety per cent, of the people of this country, or ol any other country, as a matter of fact, have interests n common. At least ninety per cent, of anj' country is made up of what is called the "worker," and the small professional men, the small farmer and the small tradesman. 11 all the people comprising this ninety per cent, of the population could interchange ideas, miracles might be accomplished. We misunderstand each other because we do not know each other. Let "The Philistine" bring us together! Elbert Hubbard once wrote that is was the bounden duty of every man with ideas lor the general good/ to communicate those ideas to his fellow-citizens. No man can do much alone. Co-operat-ion has been the means whereby our civilisation has progressed. Men of ideas hare communicated their ideas to their fellow moil. The poet and the artist influence their lellow-oiti-ssens by the uplifting and ennobling qualities of their work. Inventors have brought forth ideas for new and intricate machinery, and other men hiive inipriived upon these ideas, producing machinery still more serviceable tor the general welfare. By an interchange of ideas no all benefit. A new thought gives one a different view aspect of a thing we perhaps thought unchangeable. A new idea communicated to us, may perhaps serve to show us that there is a beFter and more logical way of doing something, which, wi- imagined, was already being done in. the only possible way.'' Evidently The Philistine is to be a forceful production. As a sample of its style, we reprint three items more: — "We need not wonder at the great fight, which is being put up by the German Hun, when we know that of the total revenue of Prussia. 110 less that -17 per cent is made up of the net profits of various State undertakings. The New Labour Party would not he adopting any new and untred principle in adopting a principle of furthering State industries lor the benefit of the whole people. '

"Purely local matters are always best dealt with lucaily. Jiiducation is a. national mutter. iiducaiiou should be centralised, that is, us aeJiiiiiiusuatioii should be centralised. Centralisation iu education would mean tJnai a tremendous amount oi unnecessary clerical work and other waste labour ■would be done away with. Tno saving woulu provide lree books ainl apparatus lor each child in the Doniinij:;. Health, too, is a national matier. Iho hospital system should be centrally administered and the economies elicited would go a long way to making tlie hospitals tree, as tlioy ought to bo to all the people, ami this without any pauper stigma attaching. It is the light of all citizens in a community 1,0 have the means of health. l'art o. the profits derivedi troin fcitat-e eutei' prises would find the money to enable us to furnish all required in sickness, for all the people." "Some labour parties assert that none but 'workers' should have the confidence of labour. They are entitled to their opinions on that point, but ifc won't do for us. We must not care what the financial standing of a man is so long as he is honestly willing to carry out our platform ol the ■State, that is the people, running their own 'businesses, when the running of these businesses will bcnclit all the people."