SOCIALISM.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9154, 29 July 1908, Page 5

SOCIALISM.

AN APPEAL AND A WARNING

"The union of farmers," remarked the president of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, when addressing ,the annual conference delegates at Wellington yesterday, "is more than ever desirable since the Socialists have captured the Trades and Labour Councils. Whether they have captured the working class, I doubt. I firmly believe that by far the best means to make a man, whether a worker or not, a Happy, contented, and prosperous colonist is to enable him to make his home his own. That, however, would not satisfy the Socialistic propagandist. Hi* aim is to'nationalise the m'eana of. production, distribution, and exchange,' and as we do not believe in that aim, it is our duty to combat the attack by every means in our power. "They base their arguments up on the Marxian statement that 'all wealth is the result of labour, therefore to the labourer all wealth should belong,' It is when you come to define labour that this statement breaks down. There is labour of the brain, as well as the hand, labour of the inventor, organi.-er, distributor, and that of many others, which has to be taken into consideration. It is true that such institutions ac the Post Office have b:en conducted in a most exctllent muuier by the Government for the people, but it is purely administrativp, and the work mostly clerical. The railways are also run by the Government, but it is doubtful after seeing the way \,k,. k the Wellington-Ma«-a-.Y.;V ; l.- line"has been worked T.iiether the railways arc a success." * They are'certainly more costly, both as to construction and maintenance, and where a company would pay out of revenue, items are frequently charged to I borrowed money. Again, much of bhe" Wof|c U aaifilnis'ritive, and not m'ufch of it Is m'flfiual labour." Mr Wislon quoted instances in which manufacturing under Sociar listic maWgement had been tried and failed. He also warned farmers to beware of the stepping, stones: Si'ijjle tax and nationalisation of the land. "The l first was the easiest of accomplishment, and a firm believer (and—the president thought—a conscientious believer) in the system had crept in to the inner counsels of the nation. It was easy of accomplishment because the machinery was already provided. Every addition to the land tax was a step in the direction of the single tax. That meant that the greatest democratic principle would be violated, i.e., that the people who paid taxation should spend it. Land ! nationalism had got a leg in,, too, and the Land Bill of last session gave it another hoist. How they were to combat these tendencies, and hinder their growth, even if at the moment they cannot defeat them, was a matter for consideration by the confer ence. It was certain that a complete combinjation of landowners forms the surestinethod of doing so, and the j New 2Jealand Farmers' Union offers this- possibility.