INTERNAL LOAN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 553, 9 June 1933, Page 5

INTERNAL LOAN

LOCAL OPINION LEADERS OF CHtfRCHES VIEW. POSITION AS ■GRAVE ' NEED FOR ACTION * ' The suggestions put .for ward to the aeting -Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. J. G. Goates by an influentiaj deputation in Auckland this : weqlc, jadvocating the raisi'ng qf an internal loan of ten millions and the utilisation- of this amount to provide inore* work and improved rates of pay for the unemployed, has aroused eonsiderable diseussion. With the object of ascertaining the position in Rotorua, a "Morning Post" representative yesterday obtained the views of representative leaders of the churches in the town and th'ey with one aeeord agreed that strong measures are neeessary to dea^ with the situation. Archdeacoh Chatterton Arehdeacon Chatterton, viear of St. Luke?, when approaehed, made the follov/ing statement: — "There have been many strong de-

p'utations in recent month's that have waited upon Ministers of the Crown in an endeavour to help them to find some adequate solution to the grave problems that the Coalition Government has to face, hut 110 stronger 01* more representative deputation than the one headed by the mayor of Auckland and a number of responsihle citizens which waited upon the actingPrime Minister a fev/ days ago. They were not men ignorant of the facts of the situation, or with any axe of their own to grind. They were men profoundly impressed with the gravity oi the situation, and were moved with the one desire of doing what they could to try and ofxer some important suggestions for the consideration of the Government which they felt the times demanded in the interests of all classes of the people. "Any Government would be iliadvised to pass over such suggestions without giving them the: most thorcugh and careful investigation. "They are of a construetive character, which is what is lieeded at a time when cuts in wages and excessive taxation has reduced the spending power of the people to a point which means stagnation in trade, until the confidence which is the first step to permanent reeovery is established. Scheme Favoured "It requires a psychological change to ensure that, and whether that reeovery of a permanent nature has or has not begun to set in, remains to he seen. Undoiibtedly some such scheme as suggested by the deputation wonld be likely to produce it almost immediately. The new building* snbsidy proposed hy the Government is apparently in this direction and will have its beneficial efiect, bnt will not go very far. Something much more far reaching is neeessary. The need for economy which' everyone has loyally endeavoured to practise in obedience to the policy of the Government which had to begin there, in order to make headway at all, up to a point has bcrne its fruit, but to carry it further, as the only solution, is more like economic suicide. "The whole scheme suggested may have its defects, but on the other hand, it might prove a wiser solution than continuing on lines which have in many minds already gone too far. J "I am glad to see that some leaders 'in the church were represented on the deputation. The question is said to be primarily an. economic question, but it is equally true to say that it as a moral and religious question, or that without the aid of religion the question will never he finally solved. It is our Christian religion that demands the application of the principles of courage in adversity; hope in God; and the certainty of a final solution on the only right lines. Bnt it does not stop there. It insists on the prineiples of elimination of waste, full use of the God 'given powers of hody, mind and spirit; self sacrifice in the interests of the suifering and needy; fair and just sharing of all God's gifts. Roman Catholic Approval When the scheme was submitted by the "Morning Post" representative to Father A. Hazelzet, who is in charge of the Rotorua distriet during the absence of Farther O'Callaghan, he said that his ehureh undonhtedly viewed the scheme with approval, as was shown by the presence of Bish'op Liston at the deputation 'to Mr. Coates . The Catholic Church was fully awsare of the desperate position of many of the unemployed aitd he h^mseif could ;confirm the statement that jsome were in a state of semi-starvation. The idea of -increasing the relief workers' wages to the amounts suggested was eminently sound but even at the rates indicated, it was a bare living wage. The matter of finding the requisite -money was one for the Government and he believed that the country as a whole, especially those who were fortunate to he in some employment, would not object to assisting theif less fortunate' brethren. "Even if it does mean more taxation," h'e said "the money thus raised would he cireulated providing there is no overlapping, for apparently there is a great deal of money raised by the various saies taxes, levies and other means which does not actually reach Lhe unemployed. This .should he reme- . died." Father Hazelzet th'ought ' that the

position was indeed desperate for some families and that it was not possible for private henevolence to carry on much longer under present cireumstances. There must he some method found of increasing the payments to the unemployed tc» a wage with which they could support life. At present they could not do so. Metliodist View Rev. F. Batenp, Meth'odist minister in Rotorua, when the scheme was referred to him, said that he hadj had a good deal of experience in connection with relief workers in his pirevious charge at Paeroa. He made the following statement: — "I was very interested in"your report of a new scheme put before the acting-Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, hy the mayor and citizens of Auckland city. "That the time has. come for some „ such 'way out' is very evident, for not only is the depressibn felt by those on 'relief' and in camps, hut by those whose 'nest egg' is fast disappearing. "-We all know that those "in au'thority are in a dilemma and would gladly g'ive a lead to prosperity, and it hardly behoves any of us to be too free with our criticisms, hut we do know that many of the/ camp conditions are far from satisfactory. '"phen again, they do not ahsorb all the unemployed hy ahjr means. There is still a vast arniy tramping the roads of our fair land: "I believe the time has come for Cabinet to act, and act qtiickly, it nnist if th'e. economic prbblem is to dealt with at ali." In the "absence of Rev. .Yotuig it was not possible to obtain d statement * from the Methodist Church.