DOUGLAS CREDIT

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 106, 29 January 1938, Page 16

DOUGLAS CREDIT

New President Elected Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, January 28. After being Dominion president of the Douglas Social Credit movement for the past three years?, Captain 11. Al. Rushworth, .AI.P. for Bay of Islands, was not available for the presidency when officers for the ensuing year were elected at the annual conference in Wanganui. For health reasons Captain Rushworth will have retired from all public activities by the end of the year. He will serve on the advisory board of the movement until the end of 1938. The annual conference of the Douglas Social Credit movement opened at Aramoho Park last Monday, and concluded yesterday with a public meeting in the marquee, when Miss Mary Graham, formerly inspectress of schools in India, and now of Wellington, and Mr D, C. Davie, delivered further addresses’ on the aims and objects of the movement. One of the vice-presidents. Mr. 11. J. Angus, Tauranga, presided last night. He welcomed a large number of visitors, and remarked that public addresses were a regular activity of the movement. Miss Graham said the chief desire in the heart of a Britisher was freedom with security. That was particularly true of New Zealanders. In the Dominion, however, more care was given to the breeding of cows and sheep than to the care of human beings. Countries like Italy and Germany were concentrating on the problem of physical fitness for the people. People could not be physically lit until they were mentally fit, and that was a question of outlook. The state of the world demanded a new outlook.. That outlook was Social Credit. "In. the past we. have allowed money to dominate our outlook, so that we have forgotten that money is only an expression,” said Miss Graham. "It is wealth that counts, aud wb are a rich nation. To distribute that wealth the money system must be operated on different principles; in short, we must finance consumption by non-repay-able consumer credits.” “Our primary objective on the economic side is to shift as many goods out of New Zealand shops into New Zealand homes with as little trouble and friction as possible,” said Mr. Davie. The method adopted would need to. give the people as a whole more purchasing power without increasing costs and prices. In other words, consumption had to be stimulated by non-repayable consumer credits. A national dividend of 5/- a week, for example, could be paid to every man, woman and child iu the Dominion, or goods could be retained at a percentage below cost, and the shopkeeper could be reimbursed from the same source. Such a method would help and not penalise the family man. Mr. F. C. Jordan, LL.M., Auckland, was elected Dominion president. The two North Island vice-presidents elected were Mr. A. C. A. Sexton, M.P. for Franklin, and Mr. 11. J. Angus, Tauranga Mr. AY. F. Boland. Christchurch. and’Miss M. H. M. King. ALA., principal of the Otago Girls’ High School, Dunedin, were elected vice-presidents for the South Island. The following were elected to the advisory hoard :— Captain H. M. Rushworth, M.P., Mr. A. E. Robinson. Auckland. Mr. AV. F. Boland. Christchurch. Miss M. H. Al. King. Dunedin, with the Dominion president ex officio. Airs. R. I’. Graham. Wellington, retains the position of national secretary, with headquarters at Wellington.