The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16
SOCIALISM IN NEW ZEALAND.
Women Have Long Voted and Go
eminent In Decidedly Paternal.
Washington Post.

For the past two and a half years I have
lived in New Zealand" said Mr.. r. Monier
Watson, a bright and pleasant-spoken Eng
Jority, TO a Post reporter at the Arlington.
II went out there to study farming at one
OF the best agricultural schools extant.
where the students do actual farm labor
and learn the business practically. An uncle
of mine. is largely interested In land. and
his residence was, of course, an additional
reason for my presence in the country.
Wheat Is the chief product of New Zealand,
but I think that sheep raising is the most
profitable Industry. We speak OF farms as
and we also use the word station where
you speak OF a ranch in the United States.
cinated with life in the colony to ever locate
there permanently, and from what little I've
seen OF this country i imagine I'd much
prefer to reside here. where there is so
less activity.
New Zealand. however, is not be looked
healthful climate, neither very hot In sum-
mer nor cold In winter. Snow never visits
US. The soil is extremely fertile. and will
produce as big crops as perhaps your finest
American farming lands. There are four
good-sized towns-Auckland, Wellington.
S S;1r Shnrca and D oIsr "a oS ned mo a asS
the others about 5000 each.
I'm Australia the tendency of the popula-
lea. but in New Zealand the people have
ly well settled. The inhabitants are nearly
all English, but there is a per cent. OF the
disposed and most intelligent black people
/ have ever seen. They are a splendid
looking race. the men being over six feet
high. as a rule. and very strong. and some
OF the women could be Justly called Deau-
tiful. The national vice of the country Is
l ar~unHenness. but sner strong Osags efror SaSa are ee Being ~
made TO adopt laws prohibiting the sale OF
ssTho naoet in.arasfg,g foot parhans IN IN
American about New Zealand Is that IL
presents a practical Illustration of state So
cialism. We have gone further I'm this line
than any one Of the English colonies. For
instance. all the railway and telegraph lines
are owned by the government. and i must
say that the railroads are the worst IN the
world. at least. i have never seen their In
feriors. Then the state pensions the aged.
When a man gets to be sixty years or age
he gets an annuity from the state for the
rest Of his life. The practical effect OF this
is bad. for IL removes from men the in
centive 10 be provident. knowing the gov
erpment will supply their wants. there Is
no, need for extra exertion.
Another instance of socialism is the law
under which the government can condemn
large landed estates and cut them up into
small holdings. TO be leased at a low figure
to poor people. Private ownership up TO
5000 acres Is allowed. but in excess Of this
amount the government may. In its discre-
ton. divide, as I have stated. for the bene-
fit of the landless. Whether this is a good
thing or not Is an open question, but IL has
not yet been the means OF bringing univer-
sal prosperity.
the women vote in New Zealand on all
questions that the men vote upon. Woman
suffrage is such an old thing over there that
II is accepted as one OF our institutions.
but I've never yet seen where female suf-
frage has been OF any practical value. As
a rule the women vote pretty much the
same way as their husbands. fathers or
no wise altered through their use OF the
ballot"