Automation Questioned

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31381, 29 May 1967, Page 1

Automation Questioned

The value of the trend to automation was questioned by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Christchurch (the Most Rev. B. P. Ashby) on Saturday. “Where is the machine leading us?” he asked. Bishop Ashby was speaking at the Christchurch Savage Club's Commonwealth evening. “With our ever-increasing mechanisation, we are reducing the need for human labour. No harm will be done as long as human rights are {respected and this leads to i a better humanity.

“The housewife, whose kitchen is now almost fully automatic, finds more time on her hands -and this leads to restlessness and tension in the home and very often she goes out to work for something to do.” Bishop Ashby quoted Pope Paul as saying that all progress must be related to humanism. “Progress must be aimed at removing inequalities and reducing racism. The starved people of the world must be fed,” Pope Paul had said. “In this upside-down world at the moment, money is the key to progress and cutthroat competition is the key to economic stability. This seems to be the way the

machine is leading us,” said Bishop Ashby. Automation was good in many aspects, but in poorer economic systems, it led to greater unemployment "We must think seriously about the way we are going at the moment and work towards a better world. “In a world where millions are starving, we are witnessing deliberate wasting of food. We all know that if fish are in good supply fishermen are instructed not to go out in order to keep the prices high. I heard of a whole shipment of oranges dumped over the side at the wharf so as not to glut the market. “I do not mean that there should be liberal hand-outs

by the richer countries to the poorer, unless the poorer countries are prepared to do something for themselves. The United States, in its great generosity, has landed many parasites on its back; it has been said that if you have the United States as a friend, then you do not need any enemies. ' “The poorer nations must be helped to help themselves. The relationship of people to people must be designed to leave the poor better off. All nations should give as well as receive and no nation should progress at the expense of others,” said Bishop Ashby.