The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26. A FAREWELL MESSAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 26 November 1907, Page 2

The Daily News. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26. A FAREWELL MESSAGE.

]t is probable that tli.i-V who have read tlic farewall message .will by .Mr. Hen Tillett. to the people of Xe'w Zealand do not number vory many. It is at' lea-it amusing. It may In' said Hint, to-day, then- is no land on Hie face of Ilk' globe where what is known as "State Socialism" has made such advance as in New Zealand. In this Dominion the Stale undertakes to lie lor tin' people the hanker, Ihe life ami lire in-tircr. the passenger and goods earlier, the eoal provider, the new market linder, the school-teacher, the bnUer and Max grader, the letter and parcels carrier and distributor, the telegraph messenger, and it is proposed to add to these functions very shortly the electricpower furnisher. Tram conveyance, water-supply, and lighting are in the hands of the municipal corporations, in I Australia very nearly the same condition of all'airs prevails, the chief difference being that the State in Xew Zealand has already attained to the position of a State-coal mine owner, and contemplates taking upon itself the responsibility of supplying electric-power. All this is State Socialism, pure and simple, and if the people were appealed to they would not vote for the State | being relieved of any one of the duties, above set forth, which it has undertaken. For instance, if Mr. Massoy came into the possession of power tomorrow lie would find himself eonstrained to go on with the work of finding cheap electric-power to aid the industries of the people. For this work surveys have lieen made, plans prepared, money voted. Mr. Massey himself never having uttered one dissentient voice. That work is the latest, and perhaps the greatest, effort of what is known as State Socialism. In the face of these facts, for Mr. Ben Tillett, a Socialist agitator, to come from conservative England and reproach the people of these colonies for the condition in which he finds them, dosing them with advice, seems to savour of considerable impudence.

The policy which the people of this Dominion have adopted is shown in their legislation, and by the votes cast by them at general elections during the past sixteen years, although it may be that that policy has never yet l>eon definitely put into a few words by any public man. The |icople of New Zealand do not desire that any man should be built up into a position of abnormal wealth; far less do they desire the creation of any particular wealthy class. On the other band, they do not desire that any poor should obtain amongst them at all. As far as it is humanly possible, the equalisation of wealth is the unwritten policy of the people of this Dominion; and the salient features of- our legislation during the past sixteen years have all been in that direction. Amongst the nations of the northern hemisphere nearly all the public services are in the hands of companies; these companies do not do the work from any patriotic or philanthropic motive, but simply for the purpose of putting dividends in their pockets. In these colonies the State does the work and the profit*, which otherwise would go to enrich a few, How into the State treasury for the benefit of the-whole people. The principle, then, is that, whatever can be clone by a company for the realisation of dividends should be undertaken by the State: if it will pay a company it will pay the people. At all events, if the management of the State is not so good, if the profits are not so large, one of the processes leading to the creation of the abnormally rich is stayed.

Having been simply impudent, Mr. Ben Tillett proceeds to Ik: purely vicious. J ft' appeals tu the "workers." In this Dominion all an- workers. lie talks about "every grade." In this new land we have not got any "grades," and we do not want them. Distinctly, a policy based upon the equalisation of wealth tends to prevent the development of grades, and, considering the very short time that policy has been in operation, the success which has attended it in this respect, if in no other, has been such as nlioiild afford the liveliest satisfaction. Mr. Ben Tillett goes on to urge the "workers" to fight the "capitalistic system." In the old countries of the world the "capitalistic system'' finds its expression in the form of public companies, and in this Dominion we have no public companies of the least consequence. Mr. Ben Tillett conies to New Zealand with his mind stored with ideas born of conditions'existing in the lands of the old world, and lie fulminates them as-if they had place here No doubt, when he talks of the "workers." of "grades," of "classes," of "capitalistic systems," the eyes of the people whom lie particularly desires to inlluence stare at him in amazement. The truth seems to be that during his stay in these colonies M.r. Ben Tillett has been tilting at shadows cast by windmills in far-away lands, ami in the execution of his more than Quixotic performances has been funny—very funny.