TECHNOCRACY CLAIMS

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1933, Page 12

TECHNOCRACY CLAIMS

NEW AMERICAN SCIENCE “WILD AND EXTRAVAGANT.** ADDRESS by MR. R. A. LAIDLAW. The claims made by students of the new American science of technocracy for the development of a new world order were discussed by Mr. R. A. Laidlaw in an address at the Auckland Rotary Club’s weekly luncheon on Monwas merely one of the extravagant theories put forward for the relief of a world full of contradictions, Mr. Laidlaw said. The world was bulging with foodstuffs and yet there were hungry millions. The world’s troubles were man-made, and selfishness was at the root of all of them. Selfishness, too, was apparent in most of the suggested remedies. , Destruction of goods, curtailment of production and inflation of currency all appealed to self-interest and materialism. Technocracy had the same basic flaws. “Technocracy was invented about 13 years ago by a small group of Americans,” Mr. Laidlaw said. “Nothing much was heard of it until the depression, and then the small group responsible for it put it forward as an exact science which could lead to a new order of society or new form of government. Since then it had been given widespread publicity.” IMPRESSIVE STATISTICS. The technocrats claimed that such tremendous strides had been made in the rationalisation of industry that the end of an era of development had been readied, Mr. Laidlaw continued. They had compiled impressive statistics, showing how new mechanical inventions had increased productive capacity, and gave it to be understood that a comparative world with all the manufactured goods it needed. Technocracy was the development of a small group of engineers. They claimed that capitalism, the banking system and democracy had all failed and they aimed to place themselves in charge of the affairs of the world. “The promises of the technocrats are sweeping,” said Mr. Laidlaw. They say that no one under the age of 25 or over 45 will need to do any work. Men between those ages will work from four to eight hours a day for two days in the week, and this will be enough to provide every home in America with the equivalent income of £4OOO a year. Money will be abolished and everything will be measured by the energy consumed in production. This will be distributed in kilogramme calories- per head of population, everyone receiving an equal share monthly. By using cards with their shares marked on them people will be able to obtain goods to the amount of units of energy shown on the cards. The technocrats claim they will maintain their level of prosperity for 3000 years.” INDEPENDENT INQUIRIES. Technocracy was being actively promoted at the University of Columbia, but independent inquiries had proved that, the figures on which the science was largely, based were wild and extravagant. It was acknowledged that the workman of to-day, with the aid of machinery, was 75 times as efficient as the workman before the introduction of machinery, but the technocrats made the sweeping statement that his efficiency was increased 9000 tunes. Official statistics proved that the development of machinery had not alone caused unemployment. There were more people engaged in industry in the United States to-day than there were 30 years ago. Machinery had been easing the burdens of mankind, for already hours of work had been shortened all over the world and were likely to be reduced still further. “Adjustments to industry are certainly necessary,” Mr. Laidlaw said. A better balance is needed between production time and production costs and between consumption time and consumption capacity. But surely we have the will and foresight to bring this about without resorting to Fascism, Communism and technocracy.”