Appeal For Purge Of S.C. League

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32209, 30 January 1970, Page 24

Appeal For Purge Of S.C. League

The New Zealand Social Credit Political League must be purged of saboteurs—members who have infiltrated and undermined the league, says Mr Wilfrid B. Owen, the former leader of the league, in a letter sent to the president, officers and members of the league this month.

Mr Owen, a cosmetics manufacturer, of Sumner, was leader of the party in its early years, and twice contested the Lyttelton seat. The results of the 1969 General Election and the league’s showing give cause for concern, he says. In its first election, in 1954. the Social Credit candidates polled 122,573 votes, or 11.29 per cent of the total valid votes cast. Notwithstanding a large increase in population, the votes in last year’s election totalled 120,926 —’‘not even up to the 1954 figure and only 8.96 per cent of the total vote,” Mr Owen says. “At the 1955 conference of the league, the first one after the 1954 election, 1 issued a serious note of warning. I said that the very success of the election and the interest it had created would result in attempts to infiltrate and undermine the league. I also said that those responsible for this would be people who would be the least suspected. “Unquestionably, this is what happened and those responsible were not suspected. When I returned from overseas in 1955, it was obvious to me that the undermining of the league had started. “Weapon Used”

“The weapon used was to divert the league to a policy that was unsound and unworkable. The policy was at the same time filled with all sorts of vagaries, with nothing clear, concise or factual. The objective was to make sure that the league was never elected as the government,” Mr Owen says. After a review of the history of the league, in which he mentions his resignation in 1960 and says that the motion to abolish the post of leader in 1959 was out of order, Mr Owen says that Social Credit’s policy in 1969 was a dull document.

“Of the 78 pages, only three are devoted to financial proposals and most of it is unsound. .It Virtually ignores the basic principle of Social Credit, which is and must always be that all new credit must be issued as the property of the people, individually and collectively free of all debt and encumbrance.

“The league appears to be the only possible avenue through which a system can be established for money to be issued debt free at its source. The league’s policy should be one to bring this principle into being. Any policy that is not directed to this end in its entirety is not Social Credit. Those- elements in the league who do not hold to this are not Social Crediters and are anathema to the league and its purpose.” “Sabotage” Last Year

The establishment in New Zealand of a system where all new money is issued debt free—is the objective for which the league was founded and is so stated in its constitution, he says. Any action or proposal that in any way contravenes this amounts to sabotage, and 1969 election policy is just that.

“This opinion is not mine alone,” he says. “The number of good, sound and valuable people who have left the league or become inactive since 1959 is ample evidence.” “If there are still some members left in the league who have its purpose at heart this is the time to take action and purge the league of its undermining influences,” Mr Owen says. “If there was another avenue through which this reform could be brought to fruition, I would unhesitatingly support it. But it would seem that the league is the only chance. I could cry for the wasted years.”