COMMUNISM

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1922, Page 4

COMMUNISM

AN EXPERIMENT. ' (By John D. Leckie). 'The “New Australia” movement of over 30 years ago lias now almost been forgotten but we have had so much discussion of late regarding the theory of “ownership by the community of the means of production and distribution" that a brief recapitulation of that venture by one who was on the spot, may prove of interest. I lived for lo years in villa Rica, Paraguay, about midway between the two rival settlements of New Australia and Cosmo (the latter being an olfshoot of the former), and kept in constant touch with the settlers of both. I also resided personally for some months on the New Australia settlement. I speak, therefore, from actual experience and first-hand evidence.

The New Australia movement originated in our midst, and wap organised and carried out mainly by Australians, William banc, the leader of the movement, was a man of undoubted ability, a clever writer, organiser and propagandist. For his communistic settlement he selected a large block of land, which had been offered for the purpose by the Government of Paraguay, South America. The land was admirably chosen, It was level or slightly undulating, largely composed of open prairies, covered with good, natural pasture, interspersed with patches of timber. It was well watered by permanent streams, and severe droughts were practically unknown. Tile timbered patches afforded plenty of building material and firewood, as well a's shelter for cattle, and when cleared were of exceptional fertility. The settlement was less than 30 miles (by a fairly good road) from .Villa Rica, the second city of Paraguay. The movement commenced under favourable auspices. But dissensions soon broke out among the intending settlers, even on hoard the ship which was carrying them to their destination. There were a number of young women on hoard who caused some scandal by keeping very late hours on deck. Lane

recognising the necessity in every c< rnnumity of discipline (a word which was hateful to his' followers) found it necessary to put his foot down and issued a regulation that no women were to he allowed on deck after a certain hour at night. A though such a regulation is very necessary and common on emigrant ships, the result was nit instant rehellion, some of the passengers setting the regulation openly at defianee. As bane had no adequate means of enforcing his orders, he took the only course left open to him, and sent in his lesignation. This had a sobering effect on the mal-contents who recognised that they had gone too far, and withdrew their opposition.

CONTIS'FA I. BICKERINGS. For a brief elide peace feigned, but new dissensions soon broke out. On tile ship’ arrival at Montevideo, one man with a gr.evanee claimed the protection of the Hritih Consul. Even during the last stage of tile journey to the settlement the bickerings continued. Owing to the large quantity of impedimenta owned by the settlers, it was found that the waggons provided by tlie Government were insufficient. The leaders then arranged that the waggons should he given up to the women and children, the men following on tout. Even this slight hardship was resented by men who believed they had come to an elvsium where everything would be provided gratis. The dissensions, which continued and increased. acted like a wet blanket on the initial operations of clearing and fetie,|ng the land, putting up rude dwellings. etc. The men appointed their own foremen, and when things did not turn out to their satisfaction (which uas generally the case) they changed them. But the continual changes onlv increased the confusion. Must of the settlers had already lost all heart in the work. It was a ease of “everybody's business is nobody’s business.” hat was wanting was the impulse of individual, ownership, a .s illustrated by the old proverb: “Give a man a rock that he can call his own and he will make a garden of it.’’ The communists soon found that, though they were free from the “thraldom of the bloated capitalist.” communism was the worst form (if slavery that could he imagined. The “ownership of the means of production” was louml in practice to mean that the labour of the oemmunity had to he apportioned by an administrative hoard. Each man received his allotted task—a method also found necessary by Benin and Trotsky, The man who was set to dig holes and build a fence in the broiling sun envied the schoolmaster, who worked sitting down in the shade. The colonists commenced to realise that there wa s a mistake somewhere. AH preconceived theories were upset. A man could no longer choose his own job or bargain about his own wages.”

I THE deeper deft. I To give another instillin', Ender | Elmo’s solionio of -‘11111)11111 brotherhood,” .all workers wor,. pnitl equal wages- tlio , manager .ami tlio labourer, the skillo<| worker and tlio “dnfl'or”. Result, tlio skilled workers soon loft in disgust, to work at high wages for “the Mooted oiijiitalist” and left the “duffels to carry on tlio enterprise. As Dine still insisted on strict disciplinary measures to enforce order, another rove, lution ensued, and by a vote of the settlors lie was expelled from tlio colony, called Cosine, which struggled along for some years iri desperate straits. Both in New Australia and Cosmo it was found necessary to gradually relay the communistic principles and finally to abandon them altogether after which many of the settlers working “on their own.” achieved a certain amount of prosperity. To such straits had the communists been reduced, that the Government of Paraguay was at one time compelled to supply them with rations to prevent, tlipir dying of starvation. New Australia' owned a fine herd of cattle, but when they came to muster them, instead of the expected increase, they had decreased to an alarming extent. There is an old Spanish proverb “The ass that has many owners is eaten by the wolves.” The new Australian cattle belonged to nobody in particular, but only to the community. No one felt that- be bad a special interest in looking after them. They strayed awnv, the natives killed them, the calves died from want of

proper attention at birth (very neces- , sary in that climate), etc., etc. No one doubts Lane’s honesty of pur- | pose. He invested (and lost) all his savings in his communistic venture. Re- j turning to the antipodes, he resumed his journalistic career, and died recently when the editor of the New Zealand , “Herald.” He lived long enough to ' admit the error of his communistic theories. Although he had formerly held pronounced anti-capitalist views. I have never seen those views emm- ■ eiated, even indirectly 'in any of his | more recent writings, and he was a . j voluminous writer. Bitter experience j I had exposed the fallacy of communistic I theories -a statement which is true, so i far as l know, of all practical experi- | ments in communism (a s the term is generally understood), up to date. “Experience,” says an old proverb, “is a comb which destiny presents to us after wo have,lost all.ouiyUwr.”