Land Problems and National Welfare 



society as preliminary to the creation of a new 

 social era. This new society might in the end — 

 after years of evolution — be better than our 

 present society, but during many years almost 

 certainly it would be far worse, for a long period 

 of chaos would be inevitable. Whether or not 

 the out-and-out Socialist party will ever be in a 

 position to attempt a social revolution may be a 

 moot point, but every one feels that the uncom- 

 promising Socialist is becoming more and more 

 a menace to society. A grave responsibility 

 therefore rests with all moderate politicians. 

 Unless they remedy without undue delay those 

 crying evils which do violence to all feelings of 

 justice and humanity they will drive into the 

 Socialist ranks many who at present do not 

 wish to destroy but to reform. 



But though I am a strong advocate of social 

 reform within the existing order of society, I feel 

 that it would be deplorable if reforms were in- 

 troduced only as a means of fighting Socialism ; 

 indeed, were this the case they would prove 

 effective neither as reforms nor as the weapons 

 for which they were intended. 



Putting aside all consideration of Socialism, 

 and hearkening rather to the demands of 

 humanity and justice, politicians must set them- 

 selves the task of remedying the more glaring of 

 the social evils — not only the most obvious, 

 such as unemployment and sweating, but the 



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