Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1904-07-07
SURELY
HAPPY
PLACE
New Zealand Described by a
Writer as an Ideal
Country

| hShI SldllOH, Is uHuSE lu6 peISOull
Investigation by the Rev, Francis B.
Clark the founder of the Young Peo-
PIES society of Christian Enjeavor
Mr. Clark is not like Frank B. Car.
! penter, the noted writer who was sent
to New Zealand to write down" the
institutions of that country, and who
was converted by his Investigations.
Mr.. Clark is open-minded.
In one of his articles the distin-
guished minister says: "If law can
make a paradise for the workingman,
New Iceland is certainly such para
disc"
He cites the 'solicitude of the laws
for the protection of women and child.
rem who work, the laws governing the
hours of labor, wages, the weekly
halt holidays, etc, in this land with.
out strike.
Strange to say, New Zealand busi.
ness men encourage the organization
OF unions, and at the same time pro.
mote the formation of employers as
sociations. Matters of difference be.
tween employers and employees are
submitted to boards of conciliation.
| Failing to effect a settlement, the en-.
tire controversy is brought before the
court of arbitration, whose finding is
final. Both sides accept, and there
are no strikes. In New Zealand COM
pulsory arbitration not only arbitrates
but compels.
Mr. Clark finds much to commend
in the public trust Office, which ad-
ministers estates without fee, the
trustee being paid a salary. State
life insurance, he says, is successful,
and nearly every one carries a policy.
The peoples savings are cared for
by banks connected with the postof-
fee. And, If a worIingman has led
decent life, when he is unable to
work the government pays him a PEN
sion.
When the man who is opposed to
paternalism reads these things he Is
led to exclaim ''impossible!" Yet the
facts remain. The experiment is no
longer experiment. Here are the re-
suits as Mr.. Clark sums them up:
"A land without paupers and with
out millionaireG; an amount of pri.
vate wealth that gives to each indi-
vidual on the average more than $1,000
ranking him very high among the
most favored nations in the world in
this respect; a country where every
individual spends more for food, drink
and clothes than in any other country
in the world, in spite Of the compare
tive cheapness of staple articles; a
country of industrious, prosperous,
contented, law-abiding, God-fearing
people. These industrial facts sure
ly speak we'll for the industrial con-
ditions in the worlds economic ex.
pertinent station-New Zealand"
One who desires fuller information
concerning the advanced theory OF
government wrought out in this colony
should read a recent article in the
Arena by Frank Parsons.
In New Zealand there are no party
machines, caucuses. campaign funds
or graft. There is a system of direct
nominations and elections. "This,"
says Mr.. Parsons, "is one of the fun.
damental elements in New Iceland pro-
gress."
These things being true, 1t would
appear that this country is more than
one kind of a paradise and that
like system of direct representation
in the United States might help to
solve the problem OF publication of
politics
The man who thinks there is only
one theory of government and that his
party leader is its prophet will be in.
.clined to pooh-pooh the paternalistic
system employed by the New leland
ers. He will OFFER in objection that
the people are governed to death. But
he will have difficulty with the facts
as shown by all the investigators.
The attestation OF theory is the fruit
Of its application.
The open-minded man will always
welcome all the facts concerning all
the forward movements OF the race