WARNING GIVEN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 26 June 1945, Page 4

WARNING GIVEN

STATE AND PEOPLE CHURCH PAPER'S’ COMMENT “The doctrine that the Slate is the people is pure Fascism; it is the principle which forms the basis of totalitarian States and against which this war has been and is being fought,” says the “Outlook.” the official organ of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, in a leading article. It takes exception to a recent statement justifying the Government’s proposal to take over the Bank of New Zealand in which the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash, said that the purpose was to take the bank from the shareholders and give it to the people. “With the economic and political reasons for and against the proposal we are not here concerned,” says the “Outlook,” “but we are greatly concerned with the political philosophy which is expressed in the Minister's statement, for it expresses a point of view which is completely at variance with the principles of democracy and freedom. No doubt the phrase escaped Mr Nash in the heat of debate, but it is none the less <' turbing to find it used in high political'circles. “From the democratic point of view the State is an organisation set up by the people on behalf of the people to take care of the well-being of the com munity. That organisation is a means to pn end. It is appointed to serve the people, and when it ceases to do so the people have the right to alter its personnel and to change its policy. Totalitarian States, on the other hand, do not accept this doctrine. They hold that the State is the master and not the servant of the people; in fact, that the State is the people. Whatever the State does is right: and if any individual, or group of individuals, disagrees with any decision of the Stale they must be treated as enemies and traitors disciplined. “The view of the State held by both Hitler and Mussolini was of this nature, and the war in Europe was fought because of it. In these days of changing policies we have special need to beware of glib phrases which have the sound of democracy without its virtue.”