RAILWAY W.E.A. CLASS

Evening Star, Issue 22347, 25 May 1936, Page 10

RAILWAY W.E.A. CLASS

DEBATE ON DOUGLAS PROPOSALS In pursuance of the established folicy of the Railway W.K.A; class, Which provides that “ special lectures will be ararnged whenever possible by visitors to the town,” the regular class syllabus was suspended for last Sunday’s meeting, when Mr D. Sherwood, the Douglas Credit speaker who is at present visiting Dunedin, was invited to address the class. The W.E.A. tutor understook, to oppose Mr Sherwood’s views and to point out the defects in Douglas’s proposals, thus affording members an opportunity to hear both sides of the question in open debate. The meeting was very well attended, quite a number of visitors availing themselves of an invitation to be present. Mr Sherwood opened the debate with a clear and concise outline of the Douglas Social Credit analysis that there was a permanent deficiency in our purchasing power, and how Major Douglas proposed to overcome—or supplement—this deficiency. Stress was laid on the evils arising from this deficit, also on the evils arising from private control of the nation’s credit. Mr Sherwood, in conclusion, emphasised that social credit was not meant to be “an end in itself,” but rather the means to an end —the attainment of an age of peace, prosperity, and contentment. The class tutor, opposing social credit, stated that one of the obvious causes of an apparent lack of purchasing power was that, as people became more wealthy, they desired a larger choice of goods, and that, in consequence, there was a largo surplus left on the shelves. He did not agree that there was any real deficiency in our purchasing, and illustrated his remarks by use of diagrams. If there were no deficiency—then the whole social credit analysis collapsed. He suggested that it was not a question of deficiency of purchasing power, but rather one of maldistribution of income. Both speakers then were permitted five minutes to reply to each other, and then the whole debate was thrown open for general discussion, it being arranged that members should speak for and against Douglas Credit alternately. The discussion brought out a variety of opinion, and certainly, gave members much material for thought. In conclusion, Mr Sherwood was accorded a hearty vote of thanks by the class..