WORLD CONDITIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1932, Page 6

WORLD CONDITIONS

ADDRESS BY REV. G. A. NAYLOR

THE ECONOMIC POSITION TO-DAY

The second of a. series of public lectures dealing with Church and State problems of to-day was held in St. Andrew’s Hall last evening, when there was a. good attendance.

The principal speaker was the Rev. G. A. Naylor, who gave a survey of the present world conditions in economies, “we must look at things from all angles,” he said, “and make a.n attempt to see a way out. It is difficult to i deal with such a vast subject in a comparatively small period .of time. I aim not particularly concerned to try and give you a. finished statement in regard to things—rather to throw out lines of thought, and leave it to vyu to work them out. The economic condition of the world to-day was in a state of chaos, and things were most dreadfully mixed wherever one looked. Every nation was in distress or turmoil. Nations were pulling against nations—neighbours against neighbours, even nations once regarded as friend’v to one another. In 1930, there were ten millions unemployed in the western world, but to-day there we.fi something over thirty million. Mr Coates says there are 70,000 unemployed in New Zealand, and, with dependents, one could say over 200,000 people—a frightfully big percentage of our population.

“This chaos is a state of war, and there has never been a state of real pence since our present industrial system was disorganised.

In the first years of this economic war—the fighting (that is all one can call it) was what you might call guerilla warfare— a scrap here and a scrap there-; aj struggle- with that 'small market—that small firm or industry—one against the other, everyone frying to outdo the other, to win something at the expense of others. Referring to the- industries of the Western world- he said that they were all organised during the war period as never before, and the means of production increased with the most extraordinary rapidity. Every effort was made to economise in man power, and machinery was used wherever -possible. Tn some industries the output increased by 200 to 300 per cent. “You have been reading lately a great deal about the decline in exports—how everybody had become alarmed because the exports and imports were falling so much, .and how the politicians were striving to savo-the national position by striking a balance between exports and imports. The Governments have been induced, to support the industries of their countries, and it has been the aim and object of every Government to obtain for its country a greater export than its import; to gain a balance in its favour of exports over import-, and b n - j cause the trouble is so far spread in ( etch nation, it imposes bank r-estrietio"s, ; to control-' exchange, ancl to rectify the position as it sees it. I Creditor nations —debtor nations. |

.Some nations received revenue, or revenue to individual nations troni other nations outside their own boundaries. 'I/he one that had a revenue pouring into it from a nation outside :t,s own boundaries, could afford to buy more than it sold. Tf not, it must result dn stagnation, and such a nation became a menace to the whole fabric commerce in the world.

I’rejuclice was one of the greatest dTßiculties in mooting the present world stagnation. When .a. great nation had revenue pouring into it from outside, refused to purchase from out-ide—did everything within its power to raise it* export above ft« imports without doing anything, in return itseif, it became a menace, an obstacle, and would bring the whole commercial system to ruin That -was. the position roughly sketched, but the broad facts were unassailable. Every nation was striving to strike a balance in its favour on tr' export side, and according to mathematics, it could not be done. To push on the process must result in ''tun. ■'Why haven’t we come to ruin before? | •Partly because nations were not organised as they now arc for industry—, never where they so keen on its bust- j ness. If commerce Jlowod ■freely and . unhampered, see the effect 't voull have on every nation—if each nation 'hared with others,—but it is but a dream, inconceivable of happening at

present.” Hampering restrictions should be removed but there were difficulties. Mr Coates has mentioned prejudice, widen stands in the way, separated by '. ignorance, and 'that is the friend of piitle, which stands in the wav. The d'ffivu'ties therefore wore, pride, ignorance, and prejudice, and a more powerful enemy than that—self interest, greet . selfishness —the acquisitive aim of society, the very thing on whvh our social sy-tem seeing to be based, hv. ; man wanted to gain as mob as be could, .and this was the grei: eue.r... •(hat stood ill the way to-days*^ There’' was a time when men and women fme/ht lor right, lor fiee out. for right of self expression, for tree- j dom. For their children—that ~.-the j ideal of humanity might be maintain- , ed. Their enemies were generally mi- j scrupulous, I'iee’Vt oils. or tyrranous | rulers. We do not have this to eon- | tend again to-dav, but we still hue . to light, for freedom, honesty, right, j dealing between men, and tlu> enemy j we have to flight is pride, prejudice. | That enemy must; he at harked within ouiv.elces, within our own nation, and by other nations within themselves. No other answer to the problem tban that. The one ei.'il force working tn-rlav. • which is | tow, rful to turn men from | soli ueefctii;', *•* >-v ( o-operntion by

the holding out to people that their own welfare will be effected by it. It may work for a little time, but in the end its a false doctrine. The acquisitive instinct ) the desire to add to their credit, is not a unifying principle. “But there is a unifying principle that can bring men and women together—opposite to acquisitive. It seeks not to gain but to give; not to secure pride of place, but to serve, not to be ministered unto, but to minister. That principle had hound men and women together, and can and will hind men and women together ,‘Vtill.” i\fr M. Coukon also gave a fine address on national prejudices, which was a groat problem besides being a huge barrier to the settlement of disputes. The treatment of human ills was divided into three sections—diagnosis, etiology, and treatment. These three stages could alj-o be applied to the world’s troubles. ’’A diagnosis dipclosed many prejudices—personal religious am.l racial and international, and the speaker gave striking examp'es of each, -saving that prejudice was a canker in international relationship. Etiology, or finding the cause of tile trouble could bo put down to I'ett'Uess, narrowmindedness, false ideas of loyalty, superiority and inferiority complexes. and jealousy. The treatment should be the effort to be more broadminded, to recognise that the iidnri'sls of a.ll nations were wrapped up together, ami to cull irate tolerance. It had been sdd by one of N'..w Zealand’s loaders ‘‘\o one nation can expect to benefit at til-' expense of another/ 1