NOT BANK OFFICERS

Grey River Argus, 4 March 1937, Page 7

NOT BANK OFFICERS

BUT BANK BOSSES Hon. R. Semple Explains (Per Press Association ) WELLINGTON, March 2. A 'denial that he had made an attack upon bankers and' their staffs is given by Hon. R. '.S'emple, Minister for Public Works, In a letter replying to the New Zealand Bank Officers’ Guild’s protest against his statement made at Cromwell Gorge, The Minister says: “This statement has been taken from its con'text and given to appear that I made an attack upon gentlemen following the profession of banking and their staffs. I have- notieed you have registered' your protest against ‘this alleged statement, in the public press. I think in fairness, to myself you should' have refrained from doing so until you referred the mattei t 0 me.

“I have made no attack upon bankers and tlre'lr staffs, knowing ag I do that bankers and their staffs are mere, ly servants ankh have to prove efficient and loyal to those who employ them or otherwise they would be looking for another job. I was referring to a group of indivioiuals who manipulate the credit and currency of this and every other country in the world to .he advantage of themselves and' 'the disadvantage of the great mass of the people. There is a great difference between those wh 0 own and control banking 'institutions and those who render service to these institutions

“The statement 'that I made to the men on the job was on a par with statements I have made in Parliament many times, and ou thousands of plat, forms in thig country. Those, of us who have studied the power of the international money trusts of the world know full well that a great deal of the world’s troubles comes from unfair manipulation and control of money power, and to suggest 'that an attack upon the system and) those who own and control it is an attack upon the men employed in banks is ridiculous in the extreme.

“I have no apologies to offer to your organisation or to the natlion for any indictment I 'have made in my time against the manipulation of money power that has been responsible for the enslavement of mankind through the centuries, and I take it that your organisation is not anxious io defend it either. I again affirm that the man who is building the highways and' byways and railways of this country, and living in an isolated place, segregated from°the rest o f the people, and carry, ing out an asset to hand 'to posterity, and to serve mankind in his time, L more valuable to the nation than any individual who sits behind sealed doors and' manipulates the peoples currency and credit, which reflects the weal'th ' that they create, and who tn turn tenders no > eal service. “The concluding paragraph ot your letter says;’ ‘lf is considered that such ’atmtiao'e' is unworthy of a Minister ot the" Grown.’ May I inform your OToaiiisntion that I, as a Minister o f the Grown, am the best judge- as to what ■an-rnnge I should use that is worthy myself as a Minister of the Crown, ‘iml' I am taking no advice from your oro-a.nisation or the. daily papers as to how 1 shall express myself. I will leave that to the people to judge when the election day comes round. IS GUILD BEST JUDGE ? WELLINGTON, March 3 Tn an interview, Mr V. C. S. Edwards,. President of the Bank OfficGuild, said that the Guild' had no desire to enter into a newspaper controvorsy with Mr Semple. It / a / c ' 1 that such a controversy would lead iwsvherb. The facts were that the Guild took exception t 0 the reported' statement regarding bankers, maae by Mi Semple, at Cromwell Gorge, and utteied a protest against what it considered was intemperate language. M Semple claimed that he was the bos>t iudo-e as to what language he shout1 'tseZ and what was worthy of J'/ 1 / 1 ;l . ’ a Minister of Crow , n - / not admit that, he is the best pidgc. said Mr Edwards, “and bt is incontestable that he is not the only nudge as (o what i s right and becoming m his Ministerial utterances.