SOCIAL CREDIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 11 September 1937, Page 6

SOCIAL CREDIT

CONFUSION IN ALBERTA MAJOR DOUGLAS’ INFLUENCE OTTAWA. 29th August. 1 From iiis office in London. Major , Douglas, the chief world propagandist [ for social credit, is directly administerjing Alberta’s social credit programme, 'and especially that province’s fight with the Federal Government. Alberta's Premier. Mr William Aberhart. is taking a back seat as far as j these higher negotiations are concernI ed. and is turning his attention to the [details of the more popular business of menacing the bankers, j A certain cleavage appears to have i developed between Major Douglas and : Mr Aberhart. as praparations are proceeding for calling another special session of the Legislature. On Alberta's invitation some time | ago. Major Douglas sent two experts fiom England, Messrs Phillips and ! Byrne. Acting with Mr George Mc- [ Lachlan, the leading social credit advocate of Alberta, these men have 'formed a commission for administering social credit. To-days developments in Alberta included die Provincial Government's declaration of a moratorium which may mean that the banks will get out of that province entirely. The moratorium provides that farmers may decline to pay interest to insurance or mortgage companies, or instalments on machinery they have bought, and the Courts are closed to suits against them. Mr Aberhart is arranging to call another special session for the purpose

of enacting the measures in another form. He may impose provincial licences against the banks, amounting to £200.000 annually, which will drive them out of business in Alberta. Bloodshed is freely predicted before the province's troubles are ironed out. In a speech to-day, Mr Aberhart said: “Mr Banker, we do not need you any more.”