SOCIALISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1922, Page 4

SOCIALISM.

DENOUNCED BY MR HIGGS. I DREAM OF THIRTY YEARS AGO. BRISBANE, Fch. 3. Mr Higgs, M.P., to-day, replying to Mr Theodore’s comments, said that the Premier was so bankrupt in ideas that all lie could say was that ho (Mr Higgs) when ediW of the “Worker,” exhorted the unemployed to demand bread or blood.

“It was an utterly foolish and absurd statement.” said Mr Higgs to-day, “which, fortunately. th 0 public did not' take seriously. Like a number of other i dreamers 30 years ago. he (Mr Higgs) ; desired to start right away witli©tlie ideal State; but they soon discovered before they could establish a state of society in which all would share alike that it would he necessary that everybody should he willing to do -iis fair share of work; that all should he bonost and upright, and fair and generous ! towards their fellow men. A glance through the daily newspapers of the j police court reports would i-e.veal the in- ; gratitude, dishonesty, trickery, and knavery that make the socialisation of production, distribution and exchange a. ghastly failure.” Realising memo than 20 years ago the futility ’ of striVing for "the 'irripossiblc. Mr Higgs continued, lie settled dow'ti 1 > pVacti(hl'V°lltics, and lie "was glad to be able to" say that his name had - been associated'with all tffe best reforms that find "Keen achieved in Australia (Turing tlie last 25 years'. Tt was with his Tong experience as a public man that, lie ventured to ask the trade unionists of Queensland to dissolve the political labour party, which was now controlled by extremists so powerful that they could bring to heel a big, burly, strong working man like Mr Theodore, the Premier, who might have physical courage. hut lacked the best, kind of pluck, which was moral courage. The Premier knew he would ho expelled if lie refused to sign the Labour platform with the new objective, and preferred to do the bidding of the executive,. though j Queensland was being plunged deeper i and deeper into debt, and unemploy-1 ment was increasing.