AMERICAN RECOVERY PLAN

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 2 October 1933, Page 7

AMERICAN RECOVERY PLAN

GREATEST WORLD SPECTACLE COMMUNITY SPIRIT THE KEY. WIDE POWERS OF PRESIDENT. COMMENT BY MR MILNER.. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Oct. 2. “The N.R.A. economist® are of the opinion that individual acquisitiveness has gone for ever and that the paramount consideration of the future is community advantage. They hold this is not an isolated incident, but is something indicative of a revolution in the social order,” said Mr Frank Milner, C.M.S., rector of Waitaki, who returned to-day after representing Rotarians at the International Convention, He afterwards attended the Institute of Pacific Relations Conference at Banff, Canada, and then was engaged in lectures throughout the United States. He said the American people were voluntarily allowing themselves to be disciplined because they believed that President Roosevelt represented an honest leadership. After referring to Mr Roosevelt’s immediate action in taking office, Mr Milner said it really had been an example of how democracy could function in a crisis by means of benevolent despotism with constitutional safeguards. America was -showing how democracy, by a system of paternal legislation, could he preserved in toto In the past the people of the United States had been most tenacious concerning individual rights and resentful of any form of dictation, but under the National Recovery Administration people had cheerfully agreed to observe hours of work and rates of pay prescribed by this new form of government.

It was the most extraordinary spectacle the world had yet seen. It was a via media between Fascism and Communism. No monarch in the world had such -unlimited ■ powers, as President Rtaosevelt. They were willingly given and the- people appeared to be amply satised with what was being done and it could be strictly said it was the will of the people. When President Roosevelt took office the unemployed totalled about 15,000,000. Five millions had since been given employment- and it was estimated that four or five millions more would -be employed by next February.

Mr. Milner said that the most dramatic incident at the Banff conference was a full dress debate on the N.R-.A. between British economists, including Professor Gregory, who scathingly attacked -it, and three Americans who defended it. He (Mr. Milner) concluded that the British economists failed to attach the proper valuation to the dominant human or .psychological factors. It had to he remembered the American people had suffered such a stunning and paralysing -shock that, above all else, it was necessary to reestablish confidence and the sense of social security. Lawlessness was imperilling the security of the nation and it was impossible to face another winter with fifteen million unemployed. The magnetic leadership of the president immediately produced positive and beneficial results.

MARKETS BECOMING ACTIVE. RELIEF OF STAGNATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ' CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 2. “Judged by our own standards one would be doubtful of the success of the American plan, but when you are in a desperate position you have to do many things you would not do otherwise,” said the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, at a welcome tendered by the people of Cheviot on Saturday evening. His visit to America, had been interesting. At the same time it was very difficult to see how they were going to make a success of their big campaign. It all depended upon the expenditure of money. He had discussed the matter with several prominent men in America and they told him that the plan had got the markets moving, whereas there had been stagnation before.