DOUGLAS DELUSIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23222, 21 June 1937, Page 6

DOUGLAS DELUSIONS

TO THE EDITOH Sir,—l am afraid it will bo necessary to excuse mo from further participation in this discussion. You, Sir, have intimated that you will not allow the Douglas Credit system to be discussed. While T appreciate the compliment to the prohibited proposal which this ban amounts to, I find it inconsistent with the permission given my opponent to head his letters in anti-Douglas terms and to make slighting references to Social Credit in his letters, If the ideas associated with Major Douglas are to be completely ruled out. I think that such a ruling should apply to criticism thereof as well. Those of your readers who have followed this discussion will have noted that I have not unduly urged Social Credit ideas and have really been en-

gaged in criticism of the present system. lam ready to do this at any time since the mere recital of staggering facts of the system we suffer under is sufficient to condemn it utterly, but I do protest against a prohibition which works only one way. As for the correspondent who returns to the attack, I am reinforced in my decision by the perusal of his letter. In his first he showed he was unable even to understand the point at issue and in his latest he wants to swing the discussion on to a question whether or not profit can be made under certain conditions. I pet out to show that there was an inherent defect in the present system and I do not intend that the debate shall deviate from that point. Taking it from the Socialist angle, as I did in the first place, the facts show that the case against the capitalist is based on a fallacy. Similarly does the fact of this inherent defect absolve the worker from blame. If I can bring home to your readers that neither of the above approaches is correct we may see them giving their attention to the only proposal which promises remedy. As you have ruled Social Credit out, J would have to stop short of giving the desired information. That would not be a fatal limitation so long as it was realised that our Socialist Government was proceeding up a blind alley, but 1 have neither the time nor inclination to debate gravely the very secondary matters mentioned by "Censorious If he cares to address himself to the point I urged in the first place and will try to show where it is defective we would be getting somewhere. If not he will continue to demolish his men of straw without my assistance.—l am, etc., E. W. Flint. June 18.

[This correspondence is closed. —Ed. O.D.T.]