AN END TO POVERTY

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 14 June 1935, Page 10

AN END TO POVERTY

EMPIRE-WIDE SCHEME PETITION TO THE KING - An Empire-wide petition to the King, appealing to him to call the Privy Council together with a view to an aggressive policy directed to the abolition of poverty in lais Jubilee Year is receiving strong support in New- Zealand. A meeting in furtherance of the movement was held recently in Wellington, when representatives of the Smith Family, the churches, the Hospital Board, Parlia,motif and others interested in assisting the unemployed attended, and a number of resolutions were adopted. Mr G. Anderson presided. Addresses were given by Mrs R. P. Graham, Mr A. C. Gifford and Mrs A. McDiarmid. The resolutions were as follow: “That this meeting realises that we are living in a world of unparalleled potential plenty, that we have passed from the machine age into an ago of power in which most of the hardest work can be done by means of the energy that comes from the sun; that, therefore, poverty is an anachronism and should be abolished.

“That this meeting agrees with the statements of the King and the Prince of Wales that it is not beyond the power of man so to use the resources of the world as to ensure the progress of civilisation and to enable the entire population to live on a higher level of comfort and well-being than has ever been contemplated. “That this meeting believes that the abolition of poverty and the attainment of economic independence for every man, woman and child "ill facilitate every kind of human achic\ ement, will do away witli the greater part of crime, and will remove the chief cause of war. It therefore stresses the importance of helping to secure the 10 million signatures that are required to make the petition effective. “That while giving every possible support to the League for the Abolition of Poverty, this meeting urges those in authority here in New Zealand not to wait for the rest of the world, but if possible to take the lead by adopting sueli measures as will result in the economic independence of every man, woman and child in the Dominion.”