Heard and Said

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 92, 20 December 1912, Page 1

Heard and Said

That truth is the key of enchantment: it opeii9 all doors that lead to freedom. That when the cause is found the remedy is near. That we know the roo'v cause of poverty is Production for Private Profit. That in ever-increasing numbers the people are recognising that the remedy is Collective Control for the Common Good. That capitalists become the "upper class" by mounting the back 9of the workers. That the deadliest enemy of the home is the landlord; the boss is another. That Socialism would banish both. That every 15 years, or thereabouts, the workers produce enough wealth to buy up all the industries, if they got the wealth they produced. That capital is needed in industry, but not the capitalist. That Socialism isn't paternal; it is fraternal. That capitalism is based on self-inter-est, therefore it actively promotes the qualities of greed, callousness, and narrowness. That Socialism, on the ether hand., will develop benevolence, humanity and breadth of view. Thai- the Dead Hand wrote the laws which, still extant, unjustly shackle men and women. That it passes on to individuals from generation to generation the "rights" which are new recognised as social wrongs. tThat arbitration has assisted the workers to some extent in the matter of organisation. That the workers, however, have nowreached a stagfc when Industrial rnionism is necessary, and an arbitration Act which does not pc/mit of such unionism becomes v. fetter instead of an aid. That the workers have no quarrel with private property: it is the abuse of private property that they resent, That private property which is used to exploit others must be abolished. That Socialism doesn't aim at changing '.luni'un^Uii'S.ire,.. although it will probably effect nn improvement in it' That it didn't require a chintz of nature to effect the nationalisation of railways, post offices, etc. .That the class struggle is evident on all sides. That the snarl of the T>oss or mistress, the ever-threatening sack, the sack itself, the speeding-up, the sacrifice of the children—these are common manifestations of the struggle. That many wealthy people (the Countess of Warwick is an instance) are Socialists. That they see in Socialism a fuller life for every man, woman and child. That it can hurt none, for none will want under Socialism, and it can brighten the lives of many millions. That "The Wayfarer," a Sydney "Worker" writer, sums up the politics of Fat as "gabbing, blabbing, scabbing, stabbing and grabbing." ' That the other week the Dunedin Drainage Board advertised for a typist (female) at 30s. a week- a cashier (male) at oOs.. and a clerk (male) at 50a.

That for the position of typist 14 applications were received, for cashier 16. and for clerk 28.

That the male applicants for the two last positions included an ex-bank manager and several men who possessed a university education, while others mentioned that they had passed the matriculation or the civil service examination.

Thai for men with such qualifications to be practically begging for a paltry salary of oOs. v week shows there is something "rotten in the state of Denmark"—or rather in the Dominion of New Zealand.

That while the clerkly class will hold itself aloof from working-class aims and ideals, and refuse the help of trades union organisation in the false pride that its members are of superior clay to the manual worker, such a state of affairs will continue.

That for a public body to offer such salaries as those under notice is a scandal.

That there should be at least a minimum of £3 a week attached to positions such as those at the disposal of the Dunedin Drainage Board.

That according to Chief Justice' Stout, a celebrated French writer predicted a century ago that the result of the coming of joint stock companies would be the appearance of trusts. That in a lecture at Christchurch tho Hpv. H. Howard said that an English writer had stated that the average Athenian of ancient days was two grades higher in intelligence than the Briton of to-day.

That, if that were so, it meant that the ancient Athenian was as superior intellectually to the average Briton as the latter was to the South African negro.

That Sir James Crichton-Browne is a believer in love at first sight, and advocates marriage by those affected by its manifestations.

That it is the only chance some have of getting married.

That if they trusted to their lovers' second sight many would remain spinsters or bachelors.

That Justice Denniston holds that no end of misery is caused by the mistaken idea that when a man got a girl into "trouble" ho should be compelled to marry her.

That his Honor declares that a considerable proportion of the divorce cases heard in New Zealand are really due to the fact that this idea is treated as a positive fetish.