34 



I7ie Review ot Reviews. 



July 1, 1906. 



trial life. On the contrary, it would perpetuate all 

 the distinctions and inequalities in re'gard to tiie pos- 

 session of wealth and social status, the abolition of 

 wiiich lia.s been the object, end and aim of Socialisni 

 in all ages. Sociali.Mu. like a mirage, is ever luring 

 its deluded votaries onward, but never miiiLstering to 

 their needs. The only persons benefited are tlie agita- 

 tors who impose on the credulity of the masses. How 

 much better it would be if the va.st amount of eutrgy 

 that is expended throughout the world on this social 

 will-o'-the-wisp were directed, through practical and 

 legitimate channels, towards improving and elevating 

 the conditions ot the great inasse> of the people." 



Mr. G. H. Reid. M.H.R.. writ s — 



" Socialism pronounces tlie present system ot indus- 

 trial liberty and private entei-prise to be a mistake. 

 Socialism describes the worker under the present sys- 

 tem as a miserable victim of greedy capitalists who 

 enrich themselves out of his labour and at his expense. 

 Tlie Socialistic remedy is to buy out the ' capitalists ' 

 — that is, everyona who lias got a business occupa- 

 tion. The extremists would take eventhiug for 

 nothing, as if it were a case of restoration of stolen 

 property ; but the leader of the Socialistic Labour 

 Party of Australia repudiates confiscation, i hough 

 some — if not all — define the value of property to be 

 property measured not by it,s present value, but by its 

 value "to the Stata,' a basis capable of many con- 

 liscatoi-y elements. 



■ When Aiiti-Socialists criticise Socialism as a com- 

 plete system Socialists like Mr. Watson, the leader of 

 tiie Socialistic Party, say: 

 inasmuch as we propose not 

 trics at once, but gradually, 

 leaders speak now as if 

 monopolies ' were tlie full length thev wish to go. This 

 is an attempt to shirk the real question. Besides, the 

 platforms and the objectives of the Labour Leagues 

 give such a subterfuge a flat contradiction. "The 

 Nationalisation of Monopolies ' is there, it is true, 

 and it would have been easy to put a full stop at the 

 end of those four words, but they don't. The objec- 

 tive ' adds to those four words, ' and the extension 

 of the economic and industrial functions of the State 

 and Municipality.' This is a most ingenious phrase. 

 Delightfully vague, yet elastic enough to cover the 

 whole Socialistic scheme. The 'extension' can be 

 slight, if the majority is slight, btit it can be stretched 

 to infinity, if the majority be strong. 



■' The Parliamentary representatives are not the real 

 leaders — they are delegates of tlie real leaders. The 

 members of Parliament may propose, but the Leagues 

 :and the Conference dispose. 



' You misrepresent us, 



to socialise all indus- 



Indeed. some of the 



■ the nationalisation ot 



" ' Individualism ' and ' Competition ' and ' Volun- 

 tai-j- Co-operation' are the three grand conditions of 

 industrial liberty and industrial progress under De- 

 mocracy; the destruction of all three is the aim of 

 Socialism. Industrial Socialism begins and ends in 

 compulsion embodied in the words of command. The 

 ideal of the Australian Democrat is a Commonwealth 

 of Co-operatives; the ideal of the Australian Socialist 

 is a Co-operative Commonwealtli. The difference is 

 imiuen,se, because \n a Commonwealth of Co-operatives 

 the men are the masters of the State.; in a Co-opera- 

 tive Commonwealth the State becomes the masters of 

 the men. The .Socialism of the Labour Party, which 

 Mr. Watson called the ' ally ' ot Christianity, really 

 turns Christianity upside down, because the Socialist 

 T\ould sacrifice others for the sake of .self; the Chris- 

 tian sacrifices self for the sake of others. 



" That Socialism does begin and end in compulsion 

 is literally true: — 



(1) Compulsory vurrender of all private occupa- 

 tions and enterprises and investments. 



(21 Compulsory employment in State industries, 

 not chosen by the workman, but prescribed 

 for him by State authority. 



|3) This in the case of each and .every Australian 

 worker until he dies. 



" When everything is resumed, every person paid 

 off will take himself out of the country with his capi- 

 tal ; becau.se no piivate work will be possible. The ' fat " 

 men will go with th.eir £1.000.000.000 (one thousand 

 millions sterling), and the "'thin' men will take on 

 the liability with an interest debt of £.50.000.000 a 

 •.)Par. £1 a week for every male woi'ker to pay, for 

 the privilege of becoming a shareholder in tiiat very 

 risky industrial experiment, Australia Unlimited.' 

 The Socialist tries hard to convince the Australian 

 worker that he will get the sweet security and per- 

 manence of a State billet ; he foi'gets to let him know 

 the difference between a State billet under existing 

 conditions in which you get full pay whether the de- 

 partment i.s a paying or a losing concern and take 

 no risks whatever, and the new billet under Socialism, 

 in whicli the worker will never know how much he 

 earns until the accounts of all the State iudustries are 

 made up and the amount ot calls' for unprofitable 

 industiies are deducted from each of the workers of 

 Australia, whether he has been coining money for 

 the State in his own particular line or not. One word 

 more. A Socialist State must be a Socialistic Re- 

 public, and there is no room for a British Sovereign or 

 a British Empire in the new order of thino;s. 



(Signed* G. H. REID. 

 Mav 26tli. 1906. 



[When the news of Mr. .Seddon's de.ith rame, it was tix) late U> rtiuove from the "Current History 

 ii Cnrirature " two blocks. Thev convey, however, no unpleasant suggestions whatever; indeed are 

 I nth rcm])!imentai y to the.^gi'eat man who has. to tlie sorrow of everybody, jiassed away. — Editor.] 



.\nfther aiti'-le on "Distinguished Earlv Australians." hv Dr. Watkin, 



appear in the August issue. 



