TO ABOLISH POVERTY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21578, 14 September 1935, Page 22

TO ABOLISH POVERTY

jyv 5p THE BDXTOB 0? THB PBX3B. .^Sir,—l notice "Anti-Humbug" challenges me to prove that the British Government poured 40,000,000 gallons of" milk down the drains. Well, I have ijotbeen Home lately, so cannot claim to be an eye-witness; but I do not think that Mr Baldwin or Mr MacJDonald did the actual pouring and probably Mr Eden was on the Continent Mr H. <Atmore, MJ>., did, however, mention the' matter in his presessional address at Nelson and the "New Era" °of Sydney has also alluded tp it 11 The'next two and a half inches of KJs letter consists of a confession that he and others who think as he does caii see no way out of our difficulties other than to destroy stock and crops. Se reminds me of the novice car 4rivertwho, in an emergency, throws up his hands and precipitates an avoidable crash, which not only involves himself, but "also his passengers in disaster. A.pretty futile sort of a person. "Anti-Humbug" objects to my "25,000,000" unemployed because they (the figures!) are "round" figures. Well, if it is square figures that he wants he had 'better talk to the linotype man. I could of. course have said "that the number, of unemployed is an astronomical number," but I did not think it, He also doubts whether 25,000,000 unemployed, each having three dependents, makes a total of 100,000,000. W«IL notwithstanding that, my name fcs-Thomas, even I do not doubt that. s^ n ? a little weak in his arithmetic. Which remark does not really express my meaning.—Yours, etc., i, ~ , ■ F. G. THOMAS. . September 12,1935. t «» THS MHTO» «rn VBSSS. Hf£c5 >ur correspondent "Antifgjmbatf' accuses me "like other &8?8&t «W* WdL.I toil t£?SP t Jj£ B twisting, mav sav^h;?"? l^B ' 8 " formation I single Douglasite on the executive of iSFftSSES to u Aboli ? h PovertyTeithe? tmiSi 81 " here £ was first estabiSS?,- or ln ** ew Zealand. As far as A am aware there may not be any or they may be all Douglasites ■■ * was in charge of one of the netifcms and secured 50 signatures! and i

was never once asked if it was run by the Douglas Credit Society; in fact..l was asked once if it was circulated by the Labour party, and I never had a refusal to sign the petition; but I can assure "Anti-Humbug" that more than one person said it was time that something was done to try to get rid of poverty, and that there was no harm in trying to find a way. "Anti-Humbug" says that the league Is another name for Douglas credit, or words to that effect. That being so, Douglas credit should take heart when such men as those who established the league are 1 such ardent Douglas credit supporters. , „ „ -., _ T Perhaps it may interest "Anti-Hum-bug" to know that both the Premiers of Tasmania and Queensland. Mr Stevens. Liberal leader of Canada, and even the late Richard John Seddon, of New Zealand, are in favour of Douglas credit principle. In fact, the late R. J. Seddon passed opinion to the effect that the Government should control the credit of New Zealand, which is one of the main planks of social credit. That remark of the late Mr Seddon was made in Sydney just before he died, and if "Anti-Humbue will look up Hansard he will find Mr Seddon's remarks. Does "Anti-Hum-bug" think that Mr Seddon was a "Anti-Humbug" complains that my interpretation of nis letter was stupid and should not be taken seriously. Let me assure "Anti-Humbug" that my interpretation is quite correct, and it is the only interpretation that one can make when "Anti-Humbug said that poverty cannot be abolished. The same thing' is said about all reforms, such as the abolition of slavery and others too numerous to be mentioned; but there always seems to be a way of getting over difficulties, and why not in this etc.,

September 12. 1933. [Subject to the right of reply of "Anti Humbug" this correspondence is now closed.—Edr. "The Press."]