The Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MAY 2, 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 8802, 2 May 1907, Page 2

The Rangitikei Advocate. THURSDAY, MAY 2 , 1907. SECOND EDITION. EDITORIAL NOTES

A THOUGHTFUL writer has said that the question of the future is “What will the poor do with the rich?’’ In these days when every man and woman lias equal power at the polling booth and the State is interfering more and more in social and industrial affairs it is clear that birth and wealth have lost the influence they so long possessed, and that the poorer classes have in their hands the determination of the future policy of the democratic nations. Wo are told on all hands that we are drifting towards socialism, but few people realise what socialism means, and many in this country, at any rate, are not dissatisfied with the results already attained by what they are told js socialistic legislation. Hitherto, however, wo have been merely playing at the game of socialism. The State has extended to many of its'eitizous the comfort of socialism, while leaving them at the same time free to live their own lives as they please, with the full rights of individualism. But wo already hear murmurs that the State has not yet done enough, and that its work will not be accomplished until it lias put an end to the competitive system and taken possession of all the means of production and distribution. We feeh'sxlre that if people fully grasped the meaning of this proposal they would resist to the uttermost every extension of Government or Municipal trading. Socialism means not only the abolition of private enterprise and property, but the abolition of freedom. When all are State employees, the State will, it is true, give to every man his work, bvt will also see that lie does it, aided by a penal system to enforce the duty, and ."that he does it, moreover, steadily through his working life. That this is not the opinion of opponents of socialism only is shown by the statement of Mr Sidney Webb, whose authority will be accepted by all socialists. He says “To suppose that the industrial affairs of a complicated industrial State can be rim without strict subordination and discipline, without obedience to orders and without definite allowances for maintenance, is to dream, not of socialism, but of anarchism.” W T e are then to be under the discipline of the State, and naturally inquire what will bo the character of the authorities who will rule us? W T e need ou’y turn to the United States for an answer. That country is the most highly educated democracy the world has seen,and its political affairs are in the hands of some of the lowest scoundrels in the laud. Before we advance further ou the road to socialism we require the guarantee, impossible of realisation, that in giving up freedom we arc not sursurrenderiug ourselves to the tyranny of political bosses and wire pullers.

OWING to the depletion of the oyster hods near Auckland Government has decided to step in to prevent the 'extermination of the succulent bivalve. In future the oyster bods will he under the charge of the Marine Department, which will look after •!•:.' growth and sale of oysters. The prospects held out by this new development of Government activity are most alluring. We may hope to see State oyster depots in every town and our sous and daughters may aspire to hold positions as openers of State oysters, or oven more lucrative posts as inspectors of oysters. It may he that in the future the fate of Ministers or even of the Empire will depend on the quality of the oysters provided for the teeming millions of New Zealand.

DR. FINDLAY, says the Wairarapa Daily Times, in his Palmerston speech, represented Sir Joseph Ward as the patron saint of farmers, andthe Ministry as their benefactor. He showed how a hundred thousand pounds had beoix spout here, and another largo sum elsewhere, for the solo benefit of farmers. What ho omitted to say was to point out that when the Government spends a specific sum, say fifty thousand pounds, on farmers, it first of all collects a larger sura, say sixty thousand pounds, in taaes. We have had for many years an extravagant Government, which has wasted and squandered enormous sums of money. All that it has spent, both wisely and unwisely, comes out of the taxpayers’ pocket. When the Government says to the taxpayer, "Bo grateful tons!” the taxpayer should retort that the Government -should he grateful to those who have foolishly given it all the money it rcqxxirod for a thousand and one camp followers, and for all the petty jobbery for which the Government has been famous.