Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-03-28
Julius Chambers Writes of New
Zealand I'm the Brooklyn Eagle

zealand In Inc brooklyn Ed9Ae
When Congress is called together we
shall hear a lot about latter war con-
ditions." Most of the talk will be nom
sense. The first step taken by the
American ptople ought to be in the di-
rection Of acquiring definite informa-
ton regarding the needs of labor in this
country and the best methods for keep
ing u great factories and mills, not
munition plants, in operation. 1t is
doubtful II any Congressman has given
thought to the grave problem Of finding
a market for such goods as will be made
for export. A complete change must
take place in our present system of do
nestle manufacturers, as well as in our
social habits. Foolish people who rely
upon prohibition 10 work miracles In
the domestic and political economies
of this country are doomed to disap-
pointment.
Therefore, it is with much serious
ness that L recommend the dispatch Of
"A commission to New Zealand. The
people of that remarkable land are all
eolonists, chiefly Britons. They had
the advantage of beginning with a clean
slate. The first thing they did was to
round up all savage natives and to trans
fer them to the Island of Tasmania, To-
Gated between Australia and their own
land. This they did as humanely as
possible, but the natives had to get out
Government was then ~inaugurated
with many novel ideas. A friend who
has recently returned from Wellington
has described to me the prompt reor-
ganization of the New Zealanders in
preparation for conditions of peace.
That clever fancy of Macaulay's native
of this far eastern region contemplating
st. Paul's Cathedral from the ruins of
London Bridge, may one day become
reality. Londoners familiar with the
high state of civilization in New Yea
land, compared with that OF the United
Kingdom, no longer smile when that
Macaulay prediction is cited.
Statesmen of New Zealand have had
the courage to adopt measures of ex-
IRENE novelty, most of which have
proved successful. They have invoked
and encouraged the aid of Labor Unions
for the enforcement of factory laws, fix
ing hours in the days work and rates of
wages. AS a consequence, there has
not arisen either intolerance on the part
of labor labor or disposition on the
part Of capital to poorly pay the
workmen.
All public utilities, railways, posts,
telegraphs and telephones are State
owned, and admirably managed. The
State has also reserved to itself con-
troll of several large coal properties,
-cf-which7 acts ssR sanitary
deterrent against private corporations
arbitrarily advancing prices whenever
they can combine to do so. Fire and
life insurance departments under State
control exercise similar beneficial effect
upon rates, although no attempt is made
to injure the business of any of the
large foreign companies having agencies
in the country. Hydro-electric INSTALL
ations have been made by the Govern
ment wherever adjacent cities exist of
sufficient size to utilize current for troll
ley power or lighting service.
In every respect the New Zealander,
commercially and politically, is build
ing for the future. His is today the
nearest realization of community gov
eminent on earth Socialistic expert
ments have been fearlessly made aud,
up to the present time, have not led to
abuses of such privileges. / am assur-
ed that railway trains on the two
great islands arrive and depart with ut
most punctuality. Unlike the COM
plants of inefficient postal and tele-
graphic service constantly heard in Ja-
pan land between Manhattan and
Brooklyn) the new Zealanders are
most admirably served. AS an evidence
OF their enterprise, they have insisted
on entering into contracts for the pro
jected airplane service from London,
for which gigantic machines are now
building in England.
Provisions for the payment of old-age
pensions were early introduced and the
system works with entire satisfaction.
Residents In the Dominion for more
than ten years who attain the age of so
years, women as well as imen, are en-
titled to a weekly pension sufficient to
support them moderately. Claims for
such aid are not generally made by
those with means; but acceptance State
help is not regarded as charity and en-
tails no reproach. 1t is looked uron as