Social Credit

Hutt News, Volume 15, Issue 13, 27 August 1941, Page 5

Social Credit

JOHN HOGAN AT AUCKLAND

"THERE SHALL BE NO SLUMP"

Addreßsi&g nearly 3,000 people in the Auckland Town Hall 'last week, Mr. John Hogan, Dominion Organiser for the New Zealand Social Credit . Movement, announced the launching Of.a Dominion-wide Organising and publicity campaign before the forthcoming elections. The Deputy-Mayor presided, and prominent citizens Of Auckland were on the platform. Over £300 was subscribed at the meeting for the furtherance of the policy and. plan of campaign was laid down by the speaker, whose declaration that, the keynote of the drive would be "There shall be no slump" was received with great applause.

Mr. Hogan, who has been widely known in all States of Australia for many years as a lecturer and writer on these problems and has been accorded many civic and even State receptions in the Commonwealth, visited New Zealand for a 1 brief lecturing tour last yesjr, and was invito ed by the Movement to return and direct its campaign. In the last month he has addressed successful meetings;-in most of the main centres from of Islands to Dunedin, and prepared for the drive which was launched last week.

The Auckland "Star" report of this meeting said "Mr. Hogan made a strong appeal to the people to stop 'thinking in money' and unite and work to ensure not only that there will be no depression after the present war as there was in 1929, but also that there will be economic security for all. He said that real Democracy was what the organisation aimed at. Democracy, to win, must place men and materials first, and money second. Bookkeeping by banking institutions must be subordinated to the will, needs and requirements of the people and no country in the world was better positioned to put this Into operation than New Zealand. "Economic defeatism ia undermining the confidence and strength of the people today, and the Social Credit Campaign has now issued a challenge to this defeatism and declares that "There shall be no slump" continued the speaker amidst cheers. 'If the people unite, as they must, and say that certain thingß shall be done to ensure wartime and post-war security regardless of political, financial or any section considerations, then they will be dorie because they can be done. The irresistible mobilised will of the people must be given effect to, and when the people realise this fact then will come a New Order consistent with real democracy and individual freedom.' concluded Mr. Hogan.

In the course of his address, He laid down the specific policy of the Movement for War-Finance and Post-War Reconstruction. This includes the use of the Reserve Bank to finance, free of debt, all necessary expansion in the employment of men and materials for wartime and Postwar needs, and the removal of all financial limitations on the maximum national effort; coupled with control of credit and price levels to prevent inflation and ensure maximum efficiency without unnecessary interference with private enterprise. This statement and the Movement's unique plan of campaign were greeted with enthusiasm. "It is useless to try and achieve political unity by forcing warring factions to work together," said the speaker. Sectional differences in Parliament must be obliterated by a united positive demand from the electorate to every M.P. We intend to give a demonstration of democracy in action, and give the electors and politicians of the Dominion a new experience. I have undertaken this responsibility with the definite purpose of building up organised public opinion in every electorate in New Zealand as we already have in a few where organisers are now operating, so that not only will we influence the election results as far as possible, but more important still, will be in the unusual position of bringing powerful pressure to bear on every new member as soon as he is elected. This will be kept up quite ruthlessly where necessary, so that metobers will be forced to realise that they are the servants of the electors and must obey their instructions rather than those of any sectional organisation.

In other words, we do not intend to allow our resources strength to be dissipated in futile electioneering. Our great job will start after the election, when public opinion is usually at its lowest ebb. Thus ,we, intend to make democracy a fact at home while our soldiers fight for it'overseas. They shall not again be disappointed on their return. This time there Shall be no Slump.