DOUGLAS CREDIT MOVEMENT.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 14 September 1935, Page 3

DOUGLAS CREDIT MOVEMENT.

Great Enthusiasm Displayed.

West Coast Rally. It was officially announced that 430 delegates were present at the rally during last week in Palmerston North of adherents of the Douglas Social Credit Movement. They came from cities, towns, and districts situated between Wellington in the south and New Plymouth in the north. The gathering revealed an enthusiastic brotherhood in an organisation which has gained considerable headway along the coast within recent months. Those present included: Captain H. M. Rushworth, M.P. (Dominion President), General Sir Andrew Russell and Colonel S. J. E. Closey (Dominion organiser). At the afternoon session the Mayor (Mr A. E. Mansford) presided. He declared that if Social Credit was introduced into New Zealand it would be here to stay.

LEADERS SPEAK OF VALUE OF MOVEMENT Captain H. M. Rushworth, M.P., Dominion president of the movement, presided over the morning session. Captain Rushworth welcomed the delegates to what ho called one of the finest brotherhoods New Zealand ever had. The work in which they were engaged was of the maximum benefit to mankind and so put it on a high moral plane. The gathering hud as its object the welding of the new elements who had recently entered the .movement. The inarch of current events was gaining an impetus but the overwhelming realisation that must have struck all was that a very critical stage was being reached. The crises of the past were little events compared with Avhat was looming up. Nations were endeavouring to commit acts of piracy in vain endeavours to seize purchasing powers from their neighbours. This same thing was happening within the nations, even within the cities and towns. Cut-throat competition was the order of the day.

This gathering was impressive but was only a small (part of a world-wide movement. It was only 15 years ago that an inconspicuous Englishmin named Douglas (applause) had propounded a theory. Not much notice was taken of it then but slowly it had gone round the Avorld and had been accepted by all the progressive intelligensia of every civilised country as the only sound and scientific explanation of the parodoxical situation that even New Zealand was experiencing. Everywhere was this brotherhood determined that right and truth shall prevail. The first definite move had been accomplished in the overwhelming defeat of the Government of Alberta (applause). Truth was mighty and will prevail. Colonel S. J. E. Closey, Dominion organiser, said the whole value of the

rally would be in the personal contacts to bo made that day. Nobody in New Zealand realised what the brotherhood was than he who had travelled around. Everywhere the demand for social credit was sufficient to call for selfsacrifice by those who understood. Not only had he found the demand for social credit in the cities but also in the small country districts and all were enthusiastic. They now had sufficient strength to impress New Zealand that what they advocated was the truth and workable. It was not sufficient for one or two to go forth lecturing and writing but there must be an aroused, intelligent nation. The idea of a few lecturers and large audiences had to be abandoned. In the past year the great bulk of the followers had been organised so that now they were not a pyramid balanced on its tip. The technique of the theory had been put forward and it had oeen, shown that New Zealand could control its own monetary system. If ever a nation was lit to control its own money, New Zealand was ami Douglas Credit followers had to show that they were fit to handle that control.

General Sir, Andrew Russell, who was on the platform, pointed out that there were other organisations advocating monetary reform but they were not really in opposition to the Douglas Credit movement. Those other organisations, however, were gradually coming to recognise the t ruths of the Douglas Credit theory. It was inevitable that in this work they would come across those who were looking at the movement from the point of view of how it would affect their own persona! positions. With those people the mo\cment had to be tolerant, but the movement could also see that those people did not suffer too much. There was the one great issue at the base of their endeavours —the more' equal distribution of God’s gifts to man. Keep On Trying “ What are you going to do in this particular matter?” asked Captain Rushworth of the delegates after a short adjournment to enable those present to meet each other. He added that having enlisted in the “Army” they must fight. The movement lemaincd based with all power resident in the district councils so that if the leadei and executive were “shot to bits,” the movement would go on. Colonel Closey outlined the principles on which they were expanding. He said they were fighting for self-govern-ment in money, the balancing of the monetary system and a credit equation between consumption and production. Around these things centred the control and power of issuing credit. Their “forces” composed the people whose consciences moved them to fight for

those principles. There were 1120 branch organisations, mainly in the Xorth Island. Colonel Closoy said they could not hope to enroll all the people of New Zealand because there were many people who had no incentive to be concerned with economic problems but at least they could be made to be inter-o.-ded and that was the work of the district councils. There was much, more thought embodied in the organisation than wns generally realised. What they were putting before the people would work and nobody had yet proved that it would not. They must plan fo'r victory by not only considering the forces with them but also the forces against them. A correct, evaluation of these was necessary for progress. He pointed out how democracy was now on trial and how it might lie with the Douglas Social Credit movement to save the world from another dark age which would certainly follow the breaking down of democratic rule.

OF VITAL IMPORTANCE. SOCIAL CREDIT WILL COME TO STAY. The afternoon's proceedings were opened with the singing of two verses of the hymn, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past. ’ ’ Mr. Mansford said the business the delegates were present to discuss was of vital importance to the future of the Dominion. All realised how great were the consequences of the events of 1914-IS, but a graver crisis faced the world to-day if control of money was not taken out of the hands of those whose one thought was interest and profits Avith no consideration .for humanity. The people tvere awakening from the hypnotic sleep caused by the bankers’ stupifying “drug.” The bankers themselves suav the writing on the Avail, which was being interpreted this time not by Daniel but by Douglas. (Hoar, hear.) The wise men of ancient times tried to interpret the Avriting at the command of their king, but had failed. The Aviso men of today—The bankers, had failed to interpret the present writing on the Avail.

“Tlhe sooner we have a National Credit Board controlling our money on a scientiJic basis, the sooner will we be able to take full measure of enjoyment from life and full measure of nature’s endowments,” declared Mr. Mansford.

General Sir Andrew Russell said it was towards 1918 that he had been led to believe that the next crucial crisis before the world would DC the economic one, and so he had started to study it. He came to the conclusion that usuary had got to go and considered the Douglas Credit scheme linked up al] the ideals. He could claim with a lot of others that he did not know much about it —(laughter) but realised that a system which had worked well in times of plenty could not always bring about the same results in times of poverty. Courage had to be taken in both hands and a change effected. Those in comfortable positions had to think about those not so well off. (Applause). “We want conditions of life such as God intended us to enjoy,” said the speaker. “God has endowed us with plenty and also with brains and intelligence, and He wants ns to use them. We have stiff fights in front of us, but we are not going to be afraid in finding a way out of the chaotic state the world is in today. The Almighty never proposes problems that are incapable of solution, but the penalty of failing to solve them is disaster.” (Applause).

Captain 11. M. Rushworth said lie proposed discussing the economic problem that had developed in New Zealand. The world depression had hit New Zealand, though probably not so drastically as in other parts of the world and even Great Britain. By allowing the drift to continue, however, New Zealand was leaving the door open for those experiences to be felt in this country. There had been a weird suggestion that the trouble had been the result of the world living too luxuriously and the solution was in pulling in one’s belt; by cutting down costs till they came level with purchasing power. However, the world had been warned against such a policy, the result of which was that purchas-

ing power fell and the people were no better off. Another school of thought advocated an increase in the purchasing power of the people by better wages,or shorter hours. But those people did not realise that this programme only increased costs. Another

school of thought advocated the borrowing of money to be spent on financing capital works and so put more money into circulation. But borrowed money only meant greater taxes which took away the purchasing power eventually left to the people. The relief this policy gave would only be temporary. All these three courses failed to cover the gap between costs and purchasing power, yet they had been advocated by economists and nations had religiously followed them out. The gap could not be closed by any of the orthodox wavs.

Major Douglas, however, had described the gap before its existence was recognised and had come forward with, a means of closing it, unorthodox though it may be. There was only one way it could be closed and that was by the requisite amount of money necessary to close the gap, being manufactured and put into circulation as a gift. A delegate: Hooray!

Captain Rushworth said the technical description of the exact steps that must be taken are given in books, where they could be studied. Money to-day was in no ratio to the real wealth that is produced and could be produced.' Money should be the shadow of the real thing but instead money was looked upon as the real thing. The world was extaordinarily rich yet its wealth Avas taking second place in money. The situation was a challenge to onr manhood, intelligence and Christianity. In this Dominion alone some .10,000 young boys were leaving school each year, but there were no jobs for them anywhere. A delegate: It is a tragedy. Captain Rushworth: We are telling them that they are blots on the landscape. He added that the unemployed position was getting increasingly worse but there was no problem that could not be solved by those who had the courage to seek for the answer. (Applause). The speaker said he had put his hand to the finest possible work a man •could do at the present time and he urged those in sympathy to get behind the movement.

Colonel 8. -I. E. Closey said there was a great work ahead of (hose associated with the movement in making it known throughout the length and breadth in New Zealand. They wanted self-government hr money in the hands of a national credit authority which would keep the balance between purchasing power and the credit of the country. He explained in general how this could be done and said all the movement wanted was a correctly balanced monetary system. He urged delegates to carry forth the good news. The Manawatu was the critical area in New Zealand at the present time, and if Manawatu could bo persuaded, they would have the whole of New Zealand.

Miss M. Graham, of Wellington, spoke of the movement from the women’s point of view. She said the monetary system needed a spring cleaning and considered the Douglas Credit system was the most Christian way of solving the economic problems of the world. “What can a woman do in this movement?” she asked. “Your job is to worry the men. (Laughter). Ask your husbands what they are going to do .about it. AVe women are getting impatient about it.” She said the human spirit could not be bottled down for ever, and the 40 millions of unemployed would rise in rebellion if nothing was done to alleviate their position —a life of poverty amidst plenty. The Douglas Credit movement was a constructive movement and held the, solution of the world’s economic ills.

Mr. IT. I. Angus, the final speaker, said they were entirely dependent on voluntary gifts, but he declared any investment made would return better profits than money invested in Mortgage Corporation bonds. The Mayor, in bringing the convention to a close, drew attention to the fact that there were 4.10 delegates present, which testified to the wondeiful progress the movement had made since it" first started in the area from Otaki to Hawera with only throe branches. New Zealand was more admirably situated than Alberta for the introduction of Social Credit, because of its insulation. And once social credit was introduced U would be here to stay, and an object lesson to the rest of the world as to what could be done under a scientific monetaiy s t >s tern.