DOUGLAS CREDIT

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1935, Page 7

DOUGLAS CREDIT

CONFERENCE AT TAURANGA. SEVERAL ADDRESSES GIVEN. By Telegraph—Press Association. Tauranga, Jan. 21. Some 300 members of the Douglas Credit movement are now at Mount Maunganui. Captain Rushworth, Dominion president, arrives to-day, and the formal opening of the conference takes place to-morrow morning. Messrs. H. Atmore, M.P., and A. C. A. Sexton, Auckland, addressed a public meeting on Saturday night. Mr. Atmore, in the course of his address, said that to-day the producer was worse off than ever and so desperate had the Government become that no Cabinet Minister was willing to face the people of any large town.. At the time Mr. Montagu Norman had accepted the governorship of the Bank of England, leaving an American firm, the depression in England and bankruptcies had assumed colossal proportions. At that time New Zealand had ’cd the world in social humanitarian legislation, but to-day it was in the throes of reaction and much that the Dominion had cause to be proud of had been desecrated. He advised his hearers to make a few inquiries concerning the source of party funds. Major Douglas was the only man who had shown how to increase purchasing power without increasing prices. He did not crash before the Monetary Commission as some had tried to make out, but the Monetary Commission had crashed before him.

Mr. Sexton, dealing with the Agriculture Emergency Powers Act, said the Government’s changed policy would result in decreased production, and increased costs would be loaded on to the industry. The supreme council which would be in control, consisting of Mr. Justice Frazer, Mr. ,G, A. Duncan and Mr. David Jones, was not by any means the best available. He was particularly sympathetic towards the embarrassed dairy • farmer. He considered, the Government’s proposals for dealing with tubercular cows a hole-in-the-comer way of dodging its responsibilities. The speaker on Saturday was Mr. R. P. .Graham, Wellington, who, 1 referring to the fact that the meeting was being held in the Bay of Plenty, said tile district was aptly named. It was symbolical of the Dominion and the Empire which possessed in abundance the good things of life from which many people were debarred.

The community was now faced with a situation “which was absurd, farcical, and insane.” He then dealt with the present economic situation and the proposed solution along the usual lines of the movement.

The speaker concluded with an appeal to non-members to get behind the movement and demand monetary reform on scientific' lines. After answering many questions the speaker. was accorded a vote of thanks.