BEWARE OF 'SLUMP MONGERS'

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 269, 14 November 1945, Page 3

BEWARE OF 'SLUMP MONGERS'

Sir, —In last Tuesday's edition (Nov. 6) of your paper, you publish a report of statements made by me at the General Assetnbly'of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. The report, as .if stands, and the titles and subtitles under which you have published my words, convey a very wrong impression of what I said, and of what the Assembly had in mind in accepting the resolution which I proposed. I am very concerned that the Presbyterian Church should be misrepresented to the public of New Zealand in this way, and I will be greatly obliged if you will grant me a little of your valuable space in order to correct such a false impression. I feel sure, that in the interest of the truth, you will readily grant my request. In the first place let me state quite definitely that I did not prophesy the coming of slump conditions, nor did the Presbyterian Church Issue any warning regarding the coming of a slump.

It "is true that I did refer to conditions pertaining to the past slump in order to illustrate how, at that time, our Church found itself largely unprepared to cope with the situation in which thousands of citizens were living in camps. It is true that I did ■ay that some people believe that a slump must come, but, I said quite clearly and emphatically that I disagreed with them. Also the Assembly was quite clearly aware that the purpose of my resolution was that out Missions Committee might be prepared to cope with, not the coming of a slump, but with the normal Public Works which would be put in o operation by the Government, in the normal development of the country’s recourses, particularly during the rehabilitation period. I made myself quite clear to the Assembly on that point. I fee] that it is a great pity that the Presbyterian Church should be thus misrepresented by Dominion, wide reports of Assembly proceedings. I feel also, sir, that it is a great pity that public faith in the veracity of the Press should be undermined by inadequately reported Press Association news items.

I am quite prepared at any time to give my own personal opinion regarding slumps, but let me be content to say that we ministers of the Presbyterian Church are by no means ignorant of, nor are we in any doubt as to the main factors in bringing about slump conditions. If there is one warning which we would issue to New Zealanders at this time, it is this: “Beware the slump-mongers'.” Thanking you in anticipation for allowing .me to make this correction, —I am etc., L. S. DEWAR Knox Manse, Wanganui, Nov. 13, 1945.