SOCIAL EVILS

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19639, 27 July 1935, Page 7

SOCIAL EVILS

ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THEM • i t ■. A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMME. STRONG MOVEMENT IN BRITAIN. , (Official Wireless.) (Received July 27, 1.0 p.m.) RUGBY, July 26. The newspapers publish summaries of a programme of political and social aotlon fey the / next five years, which Is not Intended as a party platform but Is a statement of the political objectives to which a large number of pubSlo men and women, drawn from all parties and different schools of thought, have subscribed.

Among over 150 signatories are th® Archbishop of York, the Bishop of Birmingham, Lord Cecil, Mr H. G. Wells, Lord Amulree, Sir Walter Layton, Lord Rutherford, Sir Arthur 'Salter, Mr Harold MacMillan, M.P., Professor Gilbert Murray, Miss Thelma Cazalet, M.P., Sir Basil Blackett, Sir (Oliver Lodge and Professor S. Alexander.

A Double Objective.

In the economic sphere the programme has a double objective—idcreasing productivity and lessening the grosser inequalities of economic rewards.

i The scandal of tiie unemployed resources of labour and capital, coexisting with unsatisfied wants, must be ended. . A ; ‘'Public works and a long-range plan of national development and conservation should be undertaken to an extent variable in accordance with the conditions of trade.

Social services should provide for every citizen the minimum necessaries of a full life.

Industrial Re-organisation,

An enabling Act is advocated fof the purpose of thoroughly going into Industrial reorganisation; It should be the British aim to establish a low tariff club among the nations, and encouragement should be given to forms of production for which the country is specially t fitted, particularly milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables. ' ; The educational proposals include the raising of the school age. As regards the organisation of peace, the programme Is for the acceptance of International supervision of armahienta and cooperation In restraining a violation of the disarmament convention. The programme has ho political significance, the objeot of signatories being educational and the near-coin-cidence with Mr Lloyd George’s new deal proposals is understood to be ao- ‘ oldental, though many details are oommon to both plans. Sense of Nationhood. ' • ■ Commenting on the programme in a leading article, the Times says: “ It Is symptomatic of the movement of thought in ’ two directions — away from narrow party grooves and towards a sense of nationhood, which recognises social welfare as increasing the obligation, of the State.” . The paper advises politicians to attend to the attitude of mind more than to the actual proposals.