The Washington times., 1906-07-06
WOULD MAKE ICE
IF FAMINE CANE
To NEW ZEALAND
PREMIER WARD
Companies Could Not
Merge and Put Up
Price.
SUCH THINGS ARE BARRED
Municipal Ownership Rem
ders Country Utopia, With
Everybody Happy.

LNCl DOuy IIdppy'
NEW YORK, July 6.-"What
would you do if there was an Ice
trust in New Zealand which put up
the prices exorbitantly?'
I'VE would fill every fcehouse for
miles around with the commodity,
and see how quickly we could get
under construction plants for its
manufacture" replied Sir Joseph
George Ward, premier of New Zea-
land, who is the guest of George
". MeMurran at the Lawyers Club
in this city. Sir Joseph drew an
amazing picture of New Zealand
under municipal ownership, Utopia
where there are no trusts nor graft;
where there is a pension for old
age, rich and poor alike; where the
railroad fare is less than l cent a
mile; where every man is provided
with work; where there is no
rebating and no discrimination
against shippers-in fact, where
everybody is happy.
New Zealand" said he, els only sixty
hve years old, and has today a popula-
tion less than 100000, Yet, In our banks
the people have earnings aggregating
Sl36. 0J0. 900. and the state holds property
worth 81 10000. 000 We haVa enacted
through our parliament large number
or sO-called sCcialistic acts, and the min
listers who promoted these measures
have now been in power long enough TO
see the results. 1t is fifteen years since
the first Of these were put through. and
even those who then opposed the meas
ures most bitterly dare not now advO-
cate repeal
Took Over Private Estates.
1--WE bcga- by taking large estates held
by private owners The government paid
fun consid alton and then parceled the
land into sriau areas, which were turned
over 70 the settlers on leases OF 959 years
tenure The only condition annexed was
that the lessee cultivate the land. The
result has been that all over New
Zealand We have a large and highly
productive farming population.
In every town Of the colony we have
established labor bureau To these
bureaus the farmers apply for the hands
tfey want. and the hOusekeeDers there
seek their servants. our unemployed
class is an inconsiderable fraction OF our
population, and no man need starve if
h- has the will to work
The state owns practically the entire
railroad mileage of the country. There
are in New Zealand 300 miles of rail-
ways already built and l,200 more in
construction. All earnings over per
cent are turned into the general gov
eminent fund. That 3 per cent Is used
for maintenance purposes.
Penny a Mile.
'"rhe mile rate is a penny a mile to-
the first fifty miles. and after that a
steadily de .reasing scale with the dis
tance. Tt ere are no such things as
private cars. If a shipper requires any
particular kind of car in which TO trans
port his product the govern ment sands
ready 10 furnish it,
There is one rate which is never
changed. The government sets the same
price TO the man making the feeblest
beginning as to the largest shipper in
the colony. The poor merchant knows
that he has no handlcaps to contend
with in freight charges.
"Our telegraph and telephone tolls
are in keeping A telephone connection
with the privilege OF unlimited calls
costs for a private residence S25 a year.
and we dispatch a message of twelve
words by telegraph FOr six pence OF
j cents. The service embraces prac-
ticaIy every town and village of the
coIsny. and statistics have more than
justified the policy of state ownership,
A.
control all their public utilities. They
have met with the same success that
the state has.
Insurance Department.
The government manages a depart
ment of insurance. Other independent
companies which have either come in OF
We're established IN the colony before
the state Negan TO write policies. have
all been forced TO lower their peemiums
The government does not solicit business
and therefore escapes the heavy charges
which most companies must add 20 theiI
policies TO meet the expense Of writing
the insurance.
The surplus which this department
has earned has not been turned into the
public treasury. but has been loaned out
TO farmers on f1rst mortgages, enabling
Inem 10 develop lnelr land BY law II
is impossible for the commissioner OF
insurance TO advance surplus. directly
or indirectly, 10 private business con
Germs. Just as IN case the railroads
granted rebates. there any iFTegularity
would be detected By the public auditor
in the insurance department no money
save for running expenses. may now bC
paid out, except upon an order which
he has S"nnteFsigned
Pensions for Old.
a striking feature of our government
IS our pensions for old age. We found
parents well along in years resented
being dependent upon their children fol
support, and now any person who hal
been in the colony for twenty years, Il
more than slxty-hye years old. and wh'
has never been convicted OF drunkenness
or crime. is entitled to a weekly pay
ment OF 10 shillings. or about $3.50 a year
This pension comes not as a charity, bu
as a matter OF right TO rich and poo
alike
We have no trusts in the sense tn,
term is here employed. If anv group o
capitalists attempted 10 corner anv com
modify the political party which counte
naneed their act would be forced inoma
dtafelV out OF mower The ,soxvsrr,r-,.,, ?