June 27, 1908.]
lengths. What really is aimed at by the Socialists is nothing less than a system of nationalised charity-ah arrangement of some kind by which constant and permanent assistance is to be given in various ways to the poor at the expense of the public generally. It is not considered that if this end could be attained, the necessary effect would be a diminution in the suns which are voluntarily given to a very large amount in the form of public and private charities. Such, however, would undoubtedly be the case, though it would be difficult to establish the fact by statistics.
Up to the present only two measures of the Socialist school bave been considered as within the range of state politics, namely old age pensions and the nationalisation of railways, and for both, plausible reasons are urged. The former, however, stands on a totally different footing to the latter. Relief of the poor has to be provided in some form by public bodies or by the State and on
this ground the matter may be deemed one which Government may undertake within reasonable limits. Time, however, was when both these schemes would have been condemned upon the hitherto accepted principle that matters which can be done by private persons should be left to them and will be better performed by then than if under- taken by Government. The principle of old age pensions however appeals to very natural and respectable feelings of com- passion, and in this way may perhaps be accepted though rather upon motives of kindliness than of sound judgment-and in deed it seems to have been approached much in this mood by the Liberal party at home. There was, however, a good deal of party policy in their action. Although the labour party are not in favour of the more extreme recommendations of the So- cialists, the particular scheme of old age pensions is certain to be popular with them and the Labour party must be conciliates in view of a possible general election. It bas, however, been often pointed out that a suitable provision for old age can be secured by the payment of a very small sum in early years, and there would seem no reason why some kind of working-men's deferred annuity company might not be established, which would secure the end in view quite as effectually as any Government system. This, however, may be considered impos. sible on ccount of the inherent want of prudence which characterises the working classes in England, and there may, on this ground, be reasons for making the concession though it certainly is a serious one when though £6,000,000 are now spoken of, it is estimated it may cost the country at much as £30,000,000 per annum before it has been in existence many years.
The question, however, of the national- isation of railways stands upon a very different footing-and the results would undoubtedly be very serious if any such measure were adopted. Of this we have the valuable object lesson to which Mr. PAUL DUBOIS calls attention, the result of administration on Socialistic lines by various large municipal bodies in England, In hardly any case has the experiment been in the long run pecuniarily successful and, in most instances, the effect of the muni- cipalities undertaking the work of supplying gas, water, tramways, electrical force, tele- phone service and the like, has proved con- clusively that the work could have been done much more cheaply and efficiently by private enterprise. But the effect politically has been enormous. The em- ployment of so many workmen has placed a large number of votes directly for the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
councils, and indirectly for Parliament at the disposal of those connected with these Councils. The work men by the municipal | bodies have been really masters of the situation and have been able to make their own terms both as to employment and pay meat. It is satisfactory to notice that the London County Council have recently taken warning and have set their face against the system which they had hitherto been following in common with other muni- cipal institutions. No one, with these fact before him, can doubt that the effect of nationalising the railways and other like services would be the same as that which has attended the like movement on the part of the municipalities. The railways would be less effectively administered, but a vast number of working men would be under the direct employment of the Government- and, as most of these men would represent a vote, no Government could remain in office who did not conform to their views. This, combined with the great powers the working classes already possess by means of their trade unions, would throw the whole governing force into their hands and an opening would be thus given to the introduction of the more drastic measures which the Socialists desire to see carried- all having for their object the taxation of those who have something, in favour of those who have nothing. This may be very creditable though vicarious benevolence but it is very bad statesmanship and can only lead in the end to the impoverishment of the community as a whole and to the increase of the evil which it is designed to correct. In speaking of the effects of Socialism in France, M. DuBors says "it may be truly said that the large number who vote to, with impunity, place burdens upon the small number who pay." If Socialism, in the form of placing railways and the like enterprises directly under the management of the Government, were introduced we should soon arrive at a similar state of affairs in the United Kingdom.
ASIAN GEOLOGY AND HISTORY.
401
this region of Asia. Many of these flood stories tell of a prior degenerate race of men having peopled these regions, who were destroyed by the rising waters, but on one thing they are unanimous, and that is, that the descendants of the new commeis finally peopled the emerged land.
that the blood races, by whatever names Now ethnographers are pretty well agreed they select to call them, are the most modern of all, and until a comparatively few years ago, when the Germans put in a claim for their country having been their birth place, myth and tradition it was held, agreed in making Central Asia their original home. These people knew nothing of Chinese,-or what was the same thing knew it only from the ignorant mistranslations of the eight- eenth century, nor were they acquainted with the stories of primitive tradition concealed in the sacred writings of the Zoroastrians. Now it is interesting to discover that the older Chinese myths and traditions quite fit in with the older European tales in relegat- ing to Central Asia the original homes of the blonds; whence they come wo know not, but their appearance seems to have been con- temporaneous with the final retreat of the ocean. The Chinese traditions are very explicit in saying that they found the mountain slopes covered with forests, through which they had to cut their way to gain access to the lower plains. Chinese and Indian tradition again agree in making these people the original inventors of the plough, and hence the first introducers of regular agriculture. But besides these blond peoples, traces of whom we find in the more elevated parts of Central Asia, Asia was invaded by a much older race, these peoples secmed to have entered from Europe the more northerly regions, and settled in what is now Siberia. They were dark swarthy folk, with great round heads i and little or no hair on their faces, in entire contrast to their southern blond and hairy neighbours. From whatever cause, and in this Zoroastrian and Chinese lore perfectly agree, Northern Asia was gradually | northern swarthy folk, finding that they becoming colder all this while, and the
could no longer sustain life along the fringes of the Northern, now Arctic Ocean, began to press on their southern and more advanced neighbours. This is vouched for
in Greek, Zoroastrian, and Chinese lore. The Greeks called these intruders Arimaspi, the Zoroastrians Azhi-Dakâks, and Chinese Tiks, or rather Diks.
the
(Daily Press, June 23rd.) How much history is connected with geology may be seen exemplified in that of Asia from time immemorial. According to the pupular belief, current even amongst many prominent geologists of the day Asia is the most ancient of the continents, in com- parison with which Europe is but an infant; The country, we have seen, as least on the and to Asia Europe is indebted for her higher grounds supported great forests, and inhabitants,-men and animals, as well as of these we find traces everywhere from for her civilisation and her religion. As a Western Persia to China. In their new fact, of the two continents Europe is by far born zeal for agriculture the blonds the older, and was to a great degree peopled commenced the work of cutting down the while the great expanses of Central Asia, at forests, like the modern settlers in the least, formed a huge Mediterranean Sea, United States, not pausing to think of the manyfold greater than its modern repre- future. As these blond folk have elsewhere sentative that now forms aparting between usually shown themselves tree-lovers, it is Europe and North Africa, but which two possible they would eventually have paused, continents were then united. These changes but throughout most of the region in took place, not only well within the human question they were gradually superseded by period, but even since many of the still the others. Even as late as the fourth existing races of men bad come into exist-century we find an intelligent historical eace, and there is no doubt were the Chinese writer informing us that all the foundation of many of the primeval legends peoples living west of Lake Baghrash were still curren', but which were more widely fair, had light hair and blue eyes, and wore spread in the ages just anterior to history, great beards; and it was the ancestors of One of these legends is that of the Flood those folk, who as Goths, or other Teutons, and regarding it it is noteworthy that all the bad poured in their millions into Europe, myths can be traced to the area in question. and destroyed the Roman Empire. Another curious myth, of nearly as wide distribution, is that the people that re- maiued to people the new earth, are always represented as descending from a mountain, may be Parnassus, or Ararat, or Domavand, or the Pamirs, but always connected with
The northern people who, as Diks, or Hiung Nu, or Turks of various sorts poured into Central Asia from the fifteenth century. B.C. were much behind the other peoples. in culture; like all'nomades their rule was entirely one of waste and slaughter