FINANCE GROUP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22499, 17 August 1936, Page 11

FINANCE GROUP

POWER BEHIND SCENES "GOVERNMENT RESTRAINED" ALLEGATIONS IN AUCKLAND An allegation that the Government has not implemented its election promises because it has been subject to the power of financial interests was made by the Rev. A. J. Greenwood in a statement after a meeting held on Saturday evening in the Chamber of Commerce Hall, which was addressed by tho Minister of Finance, the Hon. Walter Nash. The meeting, which was not open to the press, and to which admission was by invitation, was arranged by the group of professional and business men who recently addressed an invitation to the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, and the Minister of Finance to discuss problems connected with tho utilisation of the public credit. When it was pointed out to Mr. Greenwood, who acted as chairman of the group, that the Minister had stated that so far as he was concerned there was no reason why the meeting, which, discussed the Budget, should not have been open to the press or public, and that he did not say anything that he had not previously said in statements on behalf of the Government and which wore reported in Hansard, Mr. Greenwood said it had been felt that as a request had been made to tho Prime Minister for a privato discussion the request had to be honoured. Promises Not Implemented "Wo feel that tho Government has not implemented its election promises because of certain financial powers behind it," Mr. Greenwood continued. "We are not yet an organisation and wo have not definitely decided upon a programme. Among us are men of different political views. There are Douglas Credit supporters, British Israelites and business men who had no particular views on the utilisation of public credit, but who are now applying their minds to tho problems that face us.

"Wo have representative men among us whoso names stand for something in the community, such as Mr. J. A. C. Allum, Mr. W. J. Holdsworth, Dr. E. B. Gunson, and others. We are not out to grind any party axe, our sole desire being to get behind the Government to ameliorate social injustices and rid New Zealand of the trammels of high finance. We want to see unemployment wiped out. Going to "Bust Kelly Gangs"

"I am a priest in an industrial area and I say my pen pie arc no whit bettor off nnvr than they were during tho depression. "We want to try to alter that. Wo don't care for the 'Kelly gangs' or anyone else. Wo are going to 'bust' them. That sounds drastic, but 1 think we are going to become one of the bignost organisations in tho Dominion. We have with us tho Douglas Credit movement, which is much larger than most people know. Then there aro tho British Israelites, who are all for social credit because they want to work out economic principles contained in the Bible. And with us, as I have said, are prominent men in the community." Mr. Greenwood further explained that it had not been intended to regard tho meeting as secret. Had admission not been by ticket, but open to all members of the public, the group responsible for tho meeting would not have been able to control matters. The biggest hall in Auckland would not have been large enough to hold the crowd which would havo wanted to attend. The meeting itself was quit© a good one. It is learned that not all tho speakers at the meeting were in sympathy with those who had promoted the meeting, there being spmo frank comment against critics of tho Government's policy.