WORLD’S PROBLEMS.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18876, 21 February 1933, Page 6

WORLD’S PROBLEMS.

WHAT ROTARY CAN DO.

HAMILTON CLUB’S DISCUSSION.

MANY ASPECTS CONSIDERED. The ills of the world, economic and otherwise, and the functions of Rotary in improving the conditions existing to-day were discussed at the Hamilton Rotary Club’s meeting last night. The gathering took the form of a forum, and discussion was centred in a letter from the president of Rotary International, Clinton P. Anderson, entitled “Is this Rotary’s Hour to Speak.” Various aspects of world conditions, their causes and remedies, were put forward by different speakers and salient points were debated, with the result that the discussion was productive of much good. It is difficult to imagine that the sweeping idea of a service club movement will ever know a recession, wrote the International president. But It may be useful to face that possibility, however remote. It might serve a purpose if every member of the organisation would toy with the idea, and, toying with it, ask himself this question: “If this is the period of noise between two silences, if this is our day to have a voice, if this is the hour to speak, what should we say to the world?”

Canon William Thompson Elliot, speaking before the Seattle convention, gave as his opinion that the most significant factor in the present economic situation, in spite of all the practical measures that had been taken by practical men, was the obvious lack of moral and intelligent control of it by anybody whatsoever; that few people seemed to know how to get out of it, and that “however much anybody knows, nobody seems to be able to do anything to direct, govern, or control the future course of the situation.” Is the indictment valid? I think so. If Rotary is to speak to the world, might it not say that a large and fairly representative group of business men are determined that we shall set ourselves to end it and to see that it shall not happen again? He went on to discuss the position of the farmer, faced ’ with falling prices and increased costs, and detailed schemes put fdl’ward by Rotary Clulis to alleviate unemployment by combined effort.

Policy of Rotary.

Why might not that power to organise and administer be turned in the direction of our business ills? he continued. One problem seems common to both industry and agriculture, to both employer and employee—the problem of receiving a fair price for an honest product. If our energies were turned to that problem, a great stabilising force might be exerted by the far-flung membership in our movement.

Rotary has adopted this as a definite policy. At its convention at Dallas in 1929 it resolved that the first duty of every member was to act for the benefit of the progress and prosperity of his country. Will we learn how we got into our economic crisis? Will we know how we slowly and painfully climb out? Will we make certain that it cannot happen again ? Because of its international character, because of the diversity of classification in its membership, because of the tremendous power of men handed together in a common endeavour, Rotary might speak to the world on that far-reaching issue, he concluded.

The opinion that a study of the literature distributed by Rotary gave the impression that Rotary had already spoken was expressed by Rotarian H. E. Annett, in opening the discussion. One of the greatest faults in the community to-day was that men thought too much individually instead of for the community. The world had progressed a long way in the past fevv centuries, but it seemed to him that civilisation was taking a turn, as if it could progress no further. Unemployment was affecting industry and the world in general. A race of men with a hopeless outlook was being bred, and that outlook must inevitably lead to world upheaval. This was not the fault of the people but rather of tlie system, and in his opinion this was one question that Rotary could tackle. The progress in mechanising industry had had the effect of creating unemployment, as was instanced in many cases. In the speaker’s opinion unemployment had been tackled in tlie wrong way. Money bad been spent in giving men useless work and there had been no planning. If this had been done and unemployment was relieved to a certain extent It would raise the price level. If money was given to employers to enable them to take on larger staffs it would be better than paying to keep men out of work.

The Financial System. Rut there were other problems besides this, and tlie money question was one of tlie greatest. The Rotary Club could do something towards monetary reform. The speaker went on to quote various publications on currency and tariffs, and stressed that to-day was a time for spending rather than hoarding. Tlie world’s troubles to-day seemed to him to be man-made and bound up in the failure of the financial system. He did not think there was anything wrong with the banks, but the whole of the financial system must be reorganised. There was a growing opinion that the finance of the world had got into hands which sought to control it, but this was not in his opinion, correct. What was wanted was a better understanding between the various sections of the community. The national spirit should not predominate too strongly, but should be more international. Rotarian IL Hay expressed tlie view (hat men were too prone to blame others for tlie state of the world today, and until they looked to themselves little progress would lie made towards a better state of affairs. The sanctity of contracts entered largely into the question in his opinion. Other aspects of (lie question were dealt with by Rotarian A. M. Bislcy, who considered that Rotary should he an inlernalinnal institution for passing in forma I ion from country to country, and so helping lo bring about a better understanding. Tlie adoption of a political atlilude would, however, cause a split, which was most undesirable. He stressed the need for studying international affairs in Rotary liiei/ainnr, and detailed ihe discussion on world problems by the Perth Rotary Club. When all (Continued In next column,).

aspects were taken lino consideration he could not see that Rotary could do more than discuss many of these problems and express its views. A lot of thought could be given to unemployment, and there were other things Rotarians could do as a club. They could endeavour to face business problems and point out that the hanks were not responsible for the present crisis. Rotary could also take up the subject of marketing and show ways of improving marketing conditions.

Rotary Should Act. . Several other speakers voiced their views, tlie consensus of opinion being that the time had arrived for careful and sensible thinking on the proper lines by Rotarians, in endeavouring to solve the world’s problems. If tlie Rotary clubs got together with unity of purpose they could probably achieve what tlie Governments of the world were striving to get, one member remarked. A suggestion that all Rotarians interested should write an article on tlie world’s troubles, to be submitted to a committee was made by Rotarian G. W. Armstrong, who thought that a study course could be held in the winter months.

Rotarian H. Valder, New Zealand district governor of Rotary, said he could quite easily see what the International president had in his mind when lie wrote his letter after a long tour. He thought that Rotary was not quite doing its job, and the speaker felt the same. In community service. international work, and other branches it was doing well, but when it came to vocational work, what was it doing? His idea of Rotary’s mission was the raising of the standard of business ethics. All ttic previous speakers had dwelt on tlie material side, and passed over the ethical. It was not Rotary’s job to give a lead as to where to go. The solution of the world’s problems lay in putting tilings in their right order, ami this solution went much deeper than material tilings. Tlie object of life was tlie promotion of human happiness and it seemed lliat this had been cast aside for material tilings. Uni it tlie elliieal side of industry was tackled little progress towards improving conditions would lie made. The president, Rotarian James Treloar, mentioned that suggestions that a digest of Rotary literature should lie prepared regularly and placed before members, and that Rotarians should write articles on world problems preparatory to a study course, had been made. These were excellent ideas and he intended to place them before the club directors