Comments : Common and Caustic-

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 17, 30 June 1911, Page 11

Comments : Common and Caustic-

SbOTAIiISM IS THE GOSPEL OF DeSPAIU

—to the Robbers

Socialists speakers ought to deal with subjects and conditions affe©t_ig New Zealand. To picture the pitiless and perilous poverty of the poor*"' .in other countries encourages ThankGoddism here- To convert New Zealand to the inevitable quickly, every conceivable error in the economics or administration of its laws should be laboured and be belaboured.

A commercial journal «ays that profit sharing has como vo stay, and that "owing to tho iniJerest it engenders in the employees to is undoubtedly the most pleasant wj»v of carrying on an industry." And .mdoubtedly the most pleasant way »*. take cod liver oil is to feed it i*> pigeons—you can eat the pigeons afterwards.

The same authority vouchsafe the information that "the poorer people are, the more they spend." Ye®, and the more they spend the poorer they get I Funny, isn't it ? •* * *

Socialism means Owning Your Job. Owning your job means owning all the wealth the creation of which creates your job.

The New Zealand Worker plumes himself on the "unexampled prosperity" of his country, yet at every meeting of the Benevolent Trustees, "a large number of applications for relief," say the newspapers, "are dealt with/ And the paupers always are 4>f the working-class, or* as Professor W. T. Mills terms them, "the useful people." Strange ?

Capitalism means selling your labour for whatever it will fetch. Socialism means owning your own machinery and raw material, and thereby getting the product of your labor.

If you really want the great "Down With Conscription" Edition, send along that five shilling NOW. Then you will have the face to ask your friends to follow suit.

If there were no workers to produce food and clothing for the community would "Capital" do it for the "Capitalists?"

Madame Calve, when on her recent tour of India, received from a native rajah the weighty present of two elephants. Shouldn't be surprised if they turn out white ones.

Nine out of every ten working men and women in New Zealand end their days either as publio paupers or old age pensioners. Yet, at a moderate computation, every worker produces in thirty years wealth to the value of £10,000. Worker, how anuch is your share ?

The editor of the "Labour Leader" ought to use his blue pencil on some of his own contributions a little more liberally. Only by so doing will he avoid such contraditions appearing in his columns as tne following. : "Revolutionary Socialism (Marxism) is becoming merely a catchword." Then in another column, referring to John Spargo's life of J_arl Marx, he says: "ELarl Marx . . . under whose banner Ten million voters are enrolled." Not a bad result of a mere "catchword.*'

The muscles you cease to use you cease to have the power to use. The brain that ceases to think ceases to have the power to think. The man that does not think for himself falls short of being a MAN by one of the first essenrt-iads. Get the thinking habit.

Ton millions of workers throughout the world who have done their own thinking say that capitalism has created a hall on earth. Wanted millions more to do their own thinking and they too shall arrive.

"Supply and Demand" is a grand old shibboleth wherewith to gull the "Worker®. It is tho working of this "law" that is causing the present high price of butter in Wellington, ©ay the merchants. Yob every freezing works is choke-ablock with hundreds of tons ©f butter, to be drawn on a bit at a time. And so tho "scarcity" is artificial, and the puxohasinfiß power of

the Workers' wages is lessened because the private person owns and controls publio supplies. * * *

An ol<t lady who experienced an exciting a_*enture when jogging home from mar__fr behind old Dobbin, v. as recounting _*o facts to interested friends: "There's that hoss," sha declared, "jest laid hisseT out to run, for once, like greased lightning, and them reins was jest out o' "And what did you do?" they required excitedly. "Why I trusted in the Lord till tho breechen broke—and then I jumped."

Referring to the suggested abolition of forced labour in the Congo, Sir Edward Grey said: "If it is Uf come to an end it is essential that without delay "the natives should be put in possession of large tracts of territory, which will enable them to keep themselves. Otherwise they will have no means of livelihood." What about putting large tracts of territory, now held for pleasure by €he Lords of England, at the disposal of the tens of thousands of your fellow-countrymen, Sir EdAvard, who have no other "means of livelihood."

Talk about brotherly love as much as you please, people engaged in the same business will lie about each other.—Ed. Howe. Well; "business is business," isn't it?

It was Mr. David M'Laren who said: "Reforms that had been given by Parliament were in the way of palliatives, and there ought to bo drastic changes. Labour would be satisfied with nothing but REVOLUTION !"—

"Lyttelton Times," 1908

Will all Socialists who take the flattering unaction to their souls that "They also serve who only stand and wait" outside the Party, try to remember that Milton minted the phrase after he had become blind, and though a divine one for all so afflicted, it does not fit them —"not 'arf."

Among the pictures _ thrown on the screen at a Wellington picture show the other night was one of a goat looking through the bars of a cage. A member of the "gods'" was heard to exclaim: "There's the lib lab elector studying the social problem" !

Victor Berger's first resolution in the American Congress calling upon President Taft to withdraw the U.S. troops from the Mexican border and furnish the House with all documents relating to the manoeuvres aroused the big capitalist dailies which demanded to know what that had to do with Socialism. They were unaware of the fact that a cardinal principle of International Socialism is the abolition of war. Berger played the right card at the right time.

The Rev. Cryus Townsend Brady addressing a body of women suffragists in England, declared there were two hundred arguments against female suffrage in the hall. He went on to refer to the hats and clothes worn by the women. Tho same Rev. Cyrus Townsend Brady probably wears a stove-pipe hat when he parades the street, and dons a claw-hammer coat when he goes to dine! "Oh wad some po'er the Giftie gi'e us to see oorsels as ithers see us."

"But," persisted the Single-Taxer, "don't you see that this duty on imported flour makes your bread dearer?" "Oh, that doesn't matter to us," replied the intelligent product of the Education Act., "my wife bakes ours."

Years ago anything the master class took in hacnd went through with bells on. Those who opposed without a press or other means of gaining the ear of the public, were soon scattered or silenced. Now tho scene is changed. Here conies this compulsory military training, and in their ignorance and simplicity the usual touters of the master class, both lay and clerical, enthuse over it. But the Socialist Party organisation, in strong branches in each of our chief cities, in groups of tens and twenties in every town, mining camp, and dairying district, projects itself into the point of view, and, 10, there is wailing and gnashing of teeth among the jingoes. Comrades, if you want to impress YOUR views on some clergyman, fellow-worker or friend who at present is booming this militarist movement, send along FIVE) SHITjIiINGS for 60 copies of our special "Down With Conscription" Edition. That'll fetch 'em f