WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22628, 20 July 1935, Page 8

WORKERS’ EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION

COUNTRY CLASSES The Workers’ Educational Association’s group at Hampden and Milton have been proceeding with their studies throughout the winter. The subject in each case is “Modern English Fiction,” but the aim is not purely literary. Rather is it the political, economic, social and moral problems raised by the novelists which are the subject of study, although the literary quality and method of the various novels have also been touched upon. There is ample scope in the subject for discussion along the lines indicated. For example, Butler’s “ Way of All Flesh ” is " a practical illustration of the theory of heredity”; H. G. Well's/ The Shape of Things to Come ” is a vision of the future and the novelist’s idea of dealing with war; “ The End of the House of Allard,” by Sheila Kaye-Smith, deals with the passing of the squirearchy of England- our little systems have their day , Hutchinson’s “ This Freedom ” refers to woman’s claim - for economic and social _ freedom; Well’s “Tono Bungay” is a Socialist’s indictment of the capitalistic system; Gibbs’s “Young Anarchy” deals with modern youth; Priestley’s “Wonder Hero” challenges the pre'ss and its publicity methods, and also reveals the social distress existing 'in England’s depressed areas. The class members at Hampden and Milton, therefore, have ample scope for investigation and discussion, and they arfe taking advantage of the opportunities which are offered. NEW CLASSES.

Two new classes have recently been formed, one at Grant’s Braes (Otago Peninsula), and the other at Merton, and both are doing well. At Grant’s Braes the chairman is Mr J- W. Gerrard, a veteran of the W.E.A Movement. The subject is “European and World Affairs.’’ The topics so far deait with have included “The New Map of Europe,” “The Break-up of. Austria-Hungary,” “The Versailles Peace Conference,” “ Czechoslovakia,” and “ Italy and Fascism.” Germany, Russia, Turkey and other countries will be dealt with in the future. « At Merton the subject is the same as at Grant’s Braes. The chairman is Mr S. J. Williams, of the Merton School, and the group consists of farmers residing in the neighbourhood. There Is no difficulty in arousing discussion. Farmers work long hours and have not many opportunities for reading, but the members of the Merton class realise that questions affecting the nations and races of Europe also closely affect them. CONDITIONS IN EUROPE.

Mr James Saunders, an old member of the Railway class, who recently returned to Dunedin from England and ’Europe, has been giving talks at a number of classses, where his efforts have been highly appreciated. He has spoken on conditions in Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Italy, and his first-hand and up-to-date knowledge of present-day affairs enables him to deal with his subjects in an unusually interesting way. THE GOLD STANDARD.

After a discussion of the kind of price level at which it was desirable to aim, if production were to be organised smoothly and without unnecessary fluctuations, the economics class proceeded to consider the methods whereby the desired objective might be realised. As a preliminary, it is necessary to consider the effectiveness of the gold standard. Though in one form or another the gold standard has existed in Great Britain for a long time, it is a comparatively recent innovation as a world institution, not having been adopted bv Germany and several other important European countries until after 1870. The gold standard has recently been subjected to severe attack, but it is unlikely that it would have met with such world wide approval if there had not been associated with it some very solid advantages. The outstanding advantages were stability of exchange rates and insurance against the more violent price fluctuations which often followed the adoption of an unregulated paper currency. The first advantage was an uninixed blessing, and, without it, it is unlikely that there would have been during the latter part of the last century the rapid extension of international trade which made world prosperity possible at that time. It is largely the losses consequent upon the shrinkage of foreign trade that is again turning attention to the possibility of re-estab-lishing the gold standard. The second advantage was much more uncertain, and over long periods the fluctuations in golfl price levels were very considerable. In any event, it seemed irrational to lie up currency to the chances of production of one single commodity, and after the war the gold standard has been attacked as “ a relic of barbarism.” It remained, however, to be seen whether the world sufficiently civilised to dispense with this barbaric institution.