Monetary Reformist Speaks at Sanson

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 48, 26 February 1938, Page 13

Monetary Reformist Speaks at Sanson

From Our Own CorresoondenL

Noted Australian Advocate. The Rev. C. P. Bradly, a noted Australian monetary reform advocate, delivered an interesting address at Sanson on Wednesday evening. Mr E. J. Bowater presided over a good attendance. In opening his lecture, which was erititled, ‘The Threatening Disaster and its Prevention,” the Rev. Bradley stressed the fact that our religion, philosophy, politics and economics are based upon the presumption of scarcity. We shall have to unburden our minds of the thought of terms of the old world, and think in the thought terms of a new world. “It is necessary to consider its struggle against the bitter ness, hatred, and savagery of the old world,” he said. “Reforms do not come fro m ‘experts’ or from orthodxy; refrmers have always been regarded as cranks, visionaries, impossible idealists, and unpractical. Yet in the long run, these idealists prove to be the realists, and the most practical. “We place too much faith in the man who claims to be ‘practical.’ The man who planned the way of 1914-18, tne man who allows the people to die of starvation in the midst of plenty; the man who has the worlcl once again on tne verge of another orgy of bloody carnage. These men are the tools, the ‘successful’ men. The history ox success is mainly the history of childishness. We live ana feast to-day, upon the idealists of the past—Jesus, Buddha, Moses, the prophets, the saints an<? martyrs, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, Wilberfoiee, Shaftsbury, etc. Our whole social fabric is based upon tnese men,” said Rev. Bradley.

Continuing, the speaker stated that the mean-soi; led “practical” man, the exploiter, the go-getter, the confident knowall, sank into his miserable grave, only to be forgot ten. Europe, in fact the whole world, is living on a volcano. We have been assured of that by Britain's Prime Minister, and the various national ambassadors around Europe. War may start at any moment, but, really, we are at war the whole time. Our economic system is war, “evtiry man for himself and the devil take the hindermost.” It is a cut-throat policy, aii though there were not enough for everyone, and we must fight for the

iittle that there is. If we love peace, if we hate war, we must first stop the war that goes on in our streets every day. Business is war, naked and unashamed. This war leads to war for markets, and the war for markets leads to armed conflict. The wars in China and Spain are the same as the war in our streets, except that they use different weapons. If we do no : alter the economic system, then armed conflict Is a certainty. Under this system, man can only live by preying upon his fellow man. All this is because private institutions are allowed to manufacture money. This is what produces an artificial scarcity, poverty amidst plenty. Compared to the individual 400 year* ago, the individual to-day is 5,000 times richer.

“Yes, we are 5000 times richer per head, that Is in real wealth—production; yet, we are 5,000 times poorer than the man of 400 years ago. because of a national debt! This is the system that has been produced, and is defended by, practical men! This is the system that is being constantly bolstered up by orthodox economists! “Under this system every nation is hopelessly in debt financially, though the real wealth of the nations, production, is being sabotaged. Under this system we can continue to live only by going deeper into debt. The people have not the money to buy the goods produced. Many die of starvation in the midst of plenty. In the year 1934 nearly 4.000,000 died of starvation or committeed suicide! 80,000 babies were born dead because their mothers had not enougrh food to eat; 80.000 babies were born crippled for the same reason! Ninetenths of the world's potential wealth is being sabotaged, and yet, the orthodox economist; will defend this system. “In my opinion,” said the Rev. Bradley, “the only hope for the prevention of poverty and war is financial reform. Private institutions, the banks, must no longer be allowed to manufacture money. On this point 60,000 men, representing the Chambers of Commerce in Britain, are agreed; also the Rotary Clubs of Britain have come to the same conclusion. The nation must manufacture its own money. That is the firs it step. Other necessary reforms will come automatically. “We hoar a god deal, to-day, about bankers, and some people are foolish enough to chink that bank managers are bankers. Bank managers are only bookkeepers £.nd accountants. Though there are some 2,000,000,000 people in the world, there are probably not more than 1,000 bankers, about one In every 2,000,000 of the people, and these few men practically own the world! These bankers are divided into groups, and when these groups begin to quarrel over spoils, then there is grave danger of a major war. They don’t trust ono another; they have no illusions about ono another. So they arm and rearm and watch one another suspiciously. The rising tide of freedom and democracy is threatening these exploiters, and the only hope- for the wofla is the articulate intelligence of the masses. The bankei holds all the avenues of publicity and he uses his [power to hoodwink the people. All sorts of bogeymen and scarecrows are

used to frighten the people away from reforms, but the truth is seeping through in a thousand different directions. Men who hold good jobs become joo-conscious, and they are afraid to be unorthodx, because the unrthodox man is always is always treated with insecurity. Yet the people have become wise to these things and are clamouring for reform.” In concluding his address. Rev. Bradley said that Parliament had always been tht servant of the banks, and at last the time had arrived when the banks must be the servants of the people. President Roosevelt said that “it was the duty of Parliament to yield to pressure.” If the people keep on clamouring for reform, then reform is bound to come. A motion of thanks to the speaker for his lucid address was moved by Mr J. W. Beattie and carried by acclamation.