Comments: Common and Caustic:

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 16, 23 June 1911, Page 3

Comments: Common and Caustic:

U r, Common and Caustic, y

Socialism is building a world, tho foundations of whic'i is Love.

The editor of a Socialist comic journal in Germany has been sent to jail for caricaturing the Kaiser. It must be hard on our German comrades to be governed by a standing joke and be prosecuted for laughing.

The Sydney " Worker " says New Zealand is "a coimtry in -which Socialism is practised as well as preached." Then is it not well preached

Three things every worker must learn and never forget.—(l) Labour creates all wealth ; (2) only those who create wealth should have the right to wealth ; (3) the Socialists, and they only, seek to establish that right.

We read (says an exchange) that Russia is about to build a new battle fleet costing £100,000,000 and put it in the Black Sea. That's right, Russia (continues our contemporary) if you're going to build an expensive fleet, put it in a safe place this time. XJmph ! One fancies it doesn't much matter 'where it is put, the profits of the capitalists who secure the contracts will be safe enough anyhow. * »* * Thus Whitman ;— '■ Many sweating, ploughing, threshing ; and then the chaff for payment receiving, A few idly owning, and they the wheat continually claiming." Yes, wheat in the shape of rent, interest and profit for the master, and crumbs for the producer. Wake up Workers.

New Zealand Government is building a. simpler class of house -within the reach of working men. Thank you for nothing, Mr. Millar. Socialism instead of building workers homes cheap enough for the liard-up worker to exist in, would give the worker the wealth his labour produced, and so enable him to build and own his home free of all landlords and lendlorcls.

If you think industrial unionism worth ■while why not get a few subscribers to " Tho Worker ?" Get busy.

One thought that Lady McLaren had discovered the true cause of the declining birthrate. But it's not so. Dr. Hogan, of Tottingham, cornea up with another true reason, with as much cock-suredness as the leader of the newest sect dispensing the gospel of the only true religion. *' It is only too true," he declares, " that a gramophone has become more necessary in many homes than a cradle." One can't help concluding that more nonsense is talked about the birthrate than about politics—and that has its share.

In slavery days lawyers invented the convenient theory that a slave could not purchase his freedom because the money or property he would offer for it already belonged to his master. The same sort of sophistry serves to-day to detach the producer from his inheritance and the property he has created by his labour.

Surely the piffling paragrapher of the wooden " Post " is a descendent of some stage-coach driver in the days of Dick Turpin. One so concludes on circumstantial evidence. He seems to have a. rooted objection to anything of the "stand and deliver" order. A few nights ago he objected to the people being exploited by the "stand and deliver" policy of the butter ring, and a night or two after he hoped the Waihi "captains of industry" would not fall before the "stand and deliver attitude" of the Federation of Labour. The scribe in

question generally is in one of two moods —when he is not delirious he is drivilous.

Socialism always seeks to recognise and reward special merit in the individual. Its motto is not only " Each for All," but includes '* All for Each." In short, it looks to the welfare of the unit, no less than to that of the State—the interest of both being in fact identical.

Whenever you talk politics, industrial unionism or economics to friend or foe, and he shows inclination to oppose the Socialist Party or the Federation of Labour, ask him for a specific reason for his opposition. Get him to give it in writing if possible. In any case secure a definite statement, send it along to us and we will undertake to publish a reply. There is no need to mention names.

The "Academy," a classy sort of weekly, don't y* know, once penned the illuminating sentence, " Socialists of the reasoning kind are not Socialists at all, but Sociologists !" which is as if it had written, " Pea soup is not pea soup when it is served in the Hotel Cecil, but puree de poi." If the "Academy" doesn't watch out it will become as brilliant as the Dunedin, Christchurch, Auckland, and several other paper " Stars," which are over luminous on. the subject of Socialism.

It was Dave McLaren, M.P., who wrote in " The Beacon " (Aug., 1906) :—

" I would define the Conciliation and Arbitration Act as—An Act for the Special Protection of Employees and the Encouragement of NonUnionists in New Zealand." * * *

The promoters of the Knox Club for England have displeased mightily one man by referring to John Knox as a "great heroic Scotsman." This critic drives his skean - dhu home to the hilt. He denies Knox was either

" great " or " heroic," and declares he was "no Scotsman," but an Irishman of Goth descent, "who was "pushed into prominence almost twenty years after the Scots Reformation had had taken place," and who "screamed forth the reformed doctrine with an evil spirit—the old game of Satan." Ma conscience !

One wonders if the critic means that being "no Scotsman" it was impossible for Knox to be either "great" or "heroic," or was he merely illustrating his own heroism by throwing-off at a man who has been dead for three hundred years ?

We learn on excellent authority (says the Balclutha " New Press") that the Shale works at Orepuki have changed hands, having been purchased by a syndicate of Glasgow capitalists. This will be good news for OrepuMans. "Good news " that the surplus value of another New Zealand industry will be distributed among shareholders who probably never have seen the Dominion I *' Good news!" For whom ?

The first five shillings received at this office for 60 copies of our special " Down with Conscription " edition, was from " The Clarion Scout," This was followed by ten shillings collected from two friends by the same comrade. The next best thing to setting a good example is to follow one. Do it now.

Are there 333 readers of " The Maoriland Worker " equal to " The Clarion Scout " in enthusiasm ? If so that one thousand ss. is a dead cert., and in double quick time, too. Comrades, play the game.

Cabled that Mr. Fisher declared that New Zealand led the world in social, legislation. But Mr. Fisher said nothing about that self-same legislation leaving low wages and hardtipness untouched.