A RAY OF LIGHT ON SOCIALISM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 130, 23 May 1908, Page 6

A RAY OF LIGHT ON SOCIALISM.

To the Editor. Sir—'What .strange opinions some people have of Socialism. The lolluwmg from a southern paper is a sample. cialism is, and will always remain, tin: creed of incompetents, the desire of (he dullards and the sloths to drag the intelligent and the industrious down to their own level by the simple procc-s of pooling earnings. 11l so far as it in a strife for better conditions and better remuneration of labor, European Socialism is doubtless justified in New Zealand. We have the better conditions and the hotter remuneration, and the way to turn thesf into is to tin- Ih'sL iiß'ii the Julh'sl opportunities n-i»£ l»y tln'ir own WVorls. Tin 1 attempt to Irvel hr'>t ami uoH liy writing 'millennium' on a piine i,f paper or crying it from a platform i> ju-i as hupele-ss as dream I hat a pini can hecome a quart !>y simply calling it a fjuart—on prineiple." AV'-H, if tint i-« all that Socialism is. T miN! liaw niado a L'i'cat mi-lake in lliis liuimMiit a 17; in M-ieiicc. .Now, 1 v.'uml"r ln»w many of study the ah »ve uriter liid devoted to the >tudy oi Socialism. Not a month or oven a day. I should say: and put his opinion up against thousands who have devoted the he>t part of their lives to it., and "devoted their untiring energies for iu advanecmeit. what is sueh an opinion worth? Nothing. The aim of Soeialism is tti do away with the present cruel and unjust system of competition. We actually lompete with each other for the i privilege of exiMing, instead of co-op-<ratinir. and helping caeh other. The i r.tr<»iijr >honld a>-ist the weak, and the weak should assist the stronj;—should it lay in their powi*r. It should he "All for one. and one for all." At present

it H everybody lor t Iteniselvi>s. and when it conies to a competition ludween a Carnegie or a bloated Uothsehild. against a -ttil'viiifi 1 eliild on the street, of London or elsewhere, the eonipetitiou is unfair, and the .starving eliild and the grasping money-hug, are both the l'c-ult of this scandalous system that nv are struggling with. (hie is toid that •'competition is the lilc o I trade." Ye-: and the blighting of milium- of ot!ienvi,e beautiful live,, and the cau-e of an end of crime and disorder. The natives of this country, whom 1 have the greatc-i. re-peci for. even iu a crude form, can give in a 1c-

011 in i-o-eperation. and they are binder md more humane to each ether than

ice are: but. of cour-e. we imagine we are iu advance of them. '.\eli. not in 1 Id- respect. at all event-. lam «.rry f,.r lit.' "'.an who is -atr-lied villi the j rc-eni condition of allail'-. I.nok al Ibe millions who-e live- are nothing -hort of a hell. Well. Suciali-ts li.uv ,-olvod ' the problem how to do .vaay villi I hat. ami are building Heaven i ieht on the spot. and not waiting tor lie' -wect b\e-alld-hye, and thai i- by doiim away with thi- eiit-lhroat -y-tcm we are -iruggling with, and doing away with capitalists. The pcopb . a- n whole, are i-oing to be their own capitali-t- tor a change, as the old system is out-of-date, and all are to work for all under a properly-organised social «y----tcm. 1 fancy 1 hear -oiiiconc say ")m----poosjble!" but I say it i- gidng to be a reality, and it i, impossible for the pi'e-eiit system to continue. 1 take i'. that humanity is tmderj;oin;: a jiroi-css of development. At one time slavery existed—that, is of the past almost. I'nder the present system it may nul be a, bail as the old form of slavery, bill it many instance, it is; with the dillcreiiie that the slaves get p.tid-and the uiai'i'ied ,Javc, are the worst oIT. a, tliey have to keep ami rear a family ~l'cii oil a paltry remuneration. lhu?c who do the work get little lor it. ami tlio-e who don't work at all have the irood things of the earth iu many ea,e,, and mansions to reside in, and liiotiu car-, etc.. galore, but that system is -imply eating itself lip, and a vast cluugc is coining. Socialism is alleadv here in many form-. It rti like i;,,. - uldcring. In time it will I'Mi'-l into a blaze, ami will sweep till Ue- obsolete systems away. Socialist soeicly lias formed in Ne«" I'lvuioiith and will be heard ot later. There are liuudretb of lien' in dill'ci'cnt classes. 'J'hcy i.nly want, to hear the gospel of Sociali'm to admit the fact.—! am, eta. A. J.'. New Plymouth, May 2~ud, lt.tuy.