TIME FOR ACTION

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 23, 27 July 1933, Page 17

TIME FOR ACTION

NO MORE PALLIATIVES

RECONSTRUCTION PLAN

CHRISTIAN IDEALS

• Addressing a luncheon gathering yesterday representative of all sections of the community, Mr. J. D. McMillan, founder-of the National Reconstruction Association, spoke of the results of his visit to Christchurch and Dunedin in connection with Ihe ideals of tho organisation. Mr. E. G. Buekleton, chairman of the AVellingtoii branch, presided. Mr. McMillan said that he' had been impressed by the growing realisation that the ordinary rifles pf Christianity must be applied 'to business. There was also a growing determination that they should not face a further . year with palliatives, In Christchurch, particularly, it hiid been impressed upon him by the business men that they were determined to find gome way of attacking the position other than by resorting to charity, Mr, McMillan said tiia.l; he had found in every town what could be described as a great massif delayed action, enterprises awaiting the time when business men cpuld make up their minds tp put them into operation,"' The; •■Rational, Eecongtructiqn Association should, as one of the first steps, cause a survey to be made _ of such enterprises. It wquM be logical then tp go, to the money spure.es to see if finance could be secured to implement the work, thus creating purchasing power and benefiting business generally. He hoped that that would be done immediately. If it were handled in a proper manner, he believed it would be astonishing to learn of the^ value which would accrue from activity of J that kind. \ - . BOLD, TEARLESS PLANNING. The speaker read a statement pre;! pared by Mr. J. L. Hay, 0.8. E., ot Christchurch, of what Mr. Hay considered might be done ,by the. organisation. It expressed, he'1 said,'the grow? ing appreciation in New of the responsibility of business men to take a lead in the present crisis. Mr. McMillan saift it was not his personal view-. point and was not the considered policy of the association, but it came from a man who had at first icfused to join "yo't another movement," _ and who was now a most enthusiastic member/ ■ In his statement Mr. Hay .stressed; the necessity for the establishment of. such an organisation as th.o 'National Reconstruction Association as a means of getting down to the root of present-day problems, saying it was re? freshing,to fl.nd that, something, by way of constructive thought, qn;thq part of men outside the, Government ■machine, had boeivput forward. To Mm the idea inherent in the association found a'i'espbnsive chord as it did in the liearts of Jniany others' who were conscipus of the human tragedy they daily witnessed. While not ' expressing an ppinipn as to ttie practicability of Mr. McMillan's proposals, he believed that the principle on which they were founded, that something pould and must pc done, weif! tho big step forward that would. surely result in proposal? that werp concrete and practical. His whole approach to..the. subject was from a Christian vipwpqint, believing that the reason for the world being so hopelessly adrift-today-was that tho simple rules of Christian ' practice had hot been applied to economic life. It would only be bold and fearless planfiSiEp'with the well-being pf the mass of thfe people as the driving foreo that anything- -would bo achieved. Mr. Hay said ho was absolutely convinced that':t}»e real 'driving power of the movement Would come from harnessing it to Janiidea.' If it was to become a national,force, as ho believed.it could, tlie movement would require to have a broad enough basis to unite and to comißarid'tJio support of all sections of the community, and, not least, it must challenge 'the yquth' of the land to Courageous and enthusiastic action; Unless the policy of the National Reconstruction Association was conceived m the tmidest possible manner, with a programme of activity that was beth practical and humanitarian in- motive, and adequate to capture the imagination of the people as a whole and stir thenv-iritQ action, th'en #■ would fail and'---Biii#piy become "another movement,?* of which there was already an abundance. Given the right leadership,, he-was'convinced that the associa^ tion ,Cfluld. .become a ppwor qf- front-, rank nifignitude. CIIRISTOHUReiL SUPPORT. . Mr.; iVl,oM.illan said that the Mayor of Christchurch had intimated that Christchurch was going to take an active part with a view to getting down to some -basis of action. He did not want1 to create ' "yet another move,menti"and if the leading business man 'thought that up responsibility, rested witk^them to co-ordinate with industrial leaders,- they should say so. If there up definite action within, s,ay, two jajpiltlis,, he wpultj. be the first to put an.ejid tp tha.association. s i}i jirppqsing a vote of thanks to Mr. McMillan, Mr. Buekloton outlined the ideals of the assopiatipn, emphasising the necessity qf some action being taken to lift the country put of the present deplorablo conditions. ' Mr. McMillan said that at a very early, date a preliminary conferenco would be held-in Wellington to formulate a definite plan of action, and, follqwing that, it liad been suggested that a public ineeting should, be held with the 'Mayors of the four centres and other leaders present. Mr, C. H. Chapman., M.P., said that humanitarianism demanded action, and he was pleased to note that definite proposals WPuld'shortly be put fqrward. In' answer to Mr. P, J. Q'Eegan, Mr. MeMiilan paid that it wa3 impossible at 'that, stage to give even an indication of the nature of the proposals, but there many, squndlyrcqnceived plajis under cqnsideratiqii.