SOCIALISM.

Te Puke Times, Volume II, Issue II, 1 August 1913, Page 3

SOCIALISM.

LECTURE BY MR HARRISON. There was a large attendance at the Mission Hall on Wednesday evening, when Mr Harrison delivered a lecture on "Socialism." Dr Young, President of the Debating Society, occupied the chair. The lecturer, who, on rising, was greeted with applause, said thai; Socialism was destined to play a prominent Dart in the world's affairs, although there was not such need for it in New which was a pastoral and agricultural country, as in those countries which were largely engaged in industrial pursuits. Still, the system in this country was capable of improvement There was an unrest throughout the community, which was not confined to the lower classes, but was general. Socialism was a world-wide movement, and sought to deal effectively with the private monopoly of land, capital, and competition. Land provided forallthe needs of humanity, it was created for all, and Socialists held that to have its possession confined to a few was an absurdity. The speaker dealt with the enhanced values of land, for which the formation of roads and railways, the rise in the price of produce, and cheap • money were, he held, responsible. Referring to capital, Mr Harrison said in the first place this was merely regarded as a medium of exchange, but now it was the only power in the commercial world, and it was so manipulated that the bulk of it had got into the hands of a few individuals. It was estimated that half the wealth of England was held by 25,000 people. Capitalists practically owned the industries of the world, and the workers were dependent on them for their means of subsistence The lecturer referred to the number of joint stock companies in existence in Great Britain, the Directors of which had to see that they returned large dividends, even at the expense of the worker. The lecturer also alluded to the cornering of foodstuffs by capitalist speculators, instancing that of wheat by Patten, the American, a'fewyciarsago. This was the sort of thing that Socialism was trying to combat. ■ Mr Harrison next spoke of the.individual as a contributor and also 1 as a competitor in the world's markets, Asa contributor, he contended, he would neve; be ; missed, as a competitor he w.is a factor. He referred to the : slums of great cities, where i.o /- erty and squalor was rampant, as breeding places for vice and ' crime, and as being existent through the inequitable division of the world's riches owing to the present system. Socialism was working for certain prin- < ciples-that land should be held i for the public goo:l, and not for ] the benefit of individuals; that ! labor should not be burdened by capital; that industries should be ' worked by co-operation ; with ' equal opportunities for all. At : present'a man of great ability : might be so handicapped by cir- i eumstances that he had no op- i portunity of asserting himself, ; whilst, on the other hand, a man . of mediocre ability often occupied a position for which he was unfitted. Socialists believed that matters could be so adjusted as to remove the burdens under which so many were laboring. Socialism was not communistic, and under it there would still be competition, but not of the old order, There could not be equality, for then there would be no incentive to advance. It was a fallacy to think that Socialists were opposed to the ownership of private property. That was only the case whsre it conflicts 1 with ths public good. Under Socialism there would probably be more individual owners than., at present. The spread of cooperation, as evidenced by the co-operative dairy companies that abounded was a distinct tendency towards Socialism. Mr Harrison concluded an entertaining and well-constructed address amidst loud applause. A few questions having been put and answered, votes of thanks were passed to the lecturer and Chairman and the meeting disnersed.