The 1928 Committee

Northland Age, Volume 28, Issue 71, 17 October 1928, Page 2

The 1928 Committee

Exit The Welfare League Lately the “Welfare” League has not figured with its customary prominence in the columns of the capitalist dailies. Its place has been taken by a new organisation whose members prefer to operate incognito under the name of The 1928 Committee. This committee is a child of the ‘'Welfare” League, is in close relationship with it, financially andotherwisc, and is carrying on its work by anonymous contributions to the press, its policy being to attack the fundamentals of the Labour Party’s policy, to smash all New Zealand’s public departments which render social and economic service, and to hand over this country to unmitigated exploitation by private enterprisers with an itch for profit. What lollows is taken verbatim from an authentic document issued as a Progress Report to members of “The 1928 Committee” up to August 23 last. From this it will be observed that the Money Power is leaving no stane unturnid to tighten its grip on the people of New Zealand. We hope the diiry farmers will note that Mr Stronach Paterson, who with Mr Coates worked in with Tooley Street behind Mr Ground’s back to wreck the Dairy Control Board policy of absolute control, is the vice-chairman of the Central Committee.

This Progress Report opens with some paragraphs on the constitution of “The 1928 Committee” and reads: The Committee derives its authority from the conference (summoned by the Welfare League) which assembled in Wellington in March of this year. This conference laid down the principle That Government activities and functions should be limited and restricted to those matters only which cannot be undertaken by individuals or groups of individuals ; and that the greatest possible scope should be given to the free working of the natural law of supply and demand and to the development of individual initiative and ability; and, further t tat existing State institutions and public bodies, the functions of which are in conflict with the spirit of the above principle, should be so dealt with as to conform thereto by a process of gradual adjustment. Wellington Organisation By mutual agreement, and with the complete goodwill of both sides, the 1928 Committee has now separated entirely from the Welfare League, but the Welfare League has promised the fullest assistance of the League and its officers to the 1928 Committee, and the Committee hopes to avail itself of this assistance.

Negotiations have been opened (and are still in progress) with the Tax-payers’ Federation for an amalgamation of that body with the 1928 Committee. It is hoped that this amalgamation will be effected and, further, that after the coming Parliamentary elections are over it may prove possible to negotiate a unification of the organisation and activities of the 1928 Committee and the Welfare League. Members of the Central Committee in Wellington are: W F Cuthbertson, chairman. Stronach Paterson, vice-chair-man. D A Ewan

J B Mac Ewan D J McGowan [president, Associated Chambers of Commeice]

Gerald Fitzgerald. D F Bauchop' E W Ackland. CAL Treadwell. Together with such delegates from the committees in other centres as those committees may from time to time apDoint. The Committee’s postal address is Box 1404, Wellington. Its- telegraphic address is “Libertas, Wellington.” Its secretary and organiser is LH W Gardner. Its offices are, Room 419, T and G Building, Lambton Quay, Wellington. Its telephone number is 42-215. The Auckland Privateeis A branch ol the 1928 Committee is now formed and active in Auckland. It consists of 25 members of whom the following constitute the executive: Edward Anderson, chairman. James Lowe, vice-chairman. H E Vaile. C M Fenwick. Robert Laidlaw. H T Merritt [chairman, Auckland Chamber of Commerce]. E A Craig. Capt. R C Hammond. D J L Clayton. Its postal address is, Box 1429, Auckland. The telegraphic address of the chairman is, “Care Circular, Auckland.” The secretary is C Allan. Its offices are Spencer’s Building, Anzac Street Auckland. Christchurch and Dunedin are also fully dealt with. Publicity

One of the chief aims and objects of the 1928 Committee is to create a body of public opinion in support of the principles for which the Committee stands, and therefore a very important part of the work of the Committee is publicity. This publicity is being achieved in two ways, firstly through the newspapers, and secondly, by constant circulation to some 40 established trade organisations and some 800 individuals [commercial men, professional men and producers] throughout the Dominion, bam Saunders Works Through 37 Capitalist Papers

For our newspaper publicity work we,have retained the services of Mr Sam Saunders, and, through him, there have been published twice weekly, since the end of July, articles on State and Public Body trading and Government interference in business, in 37 daily newspapers throughout the Dominion

This newspaper publicity will be steadily continued at any rate till the end of the year. In regard to the circulation of material to trade organisations and individuals, lists have been prepared in Wellington covering the whole of New Zealand. Lists will now be sent out from the Central Committee in Wellington to the branch committees in the other centres, for consideration and possibly for deletion or addition of names. These circular advices to trade organisations and individuals will be continued whenever we have new cases or other interesting material that requires to be given some measure of publicity.