ECONOMICS AS FIELD FOR RESEARCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 66, 9 June 1927, Page 13

ECONOMICS AS FIELD FOR RESEARCH

VALUE TO DOMINION AUCKLAND SOCIETY FORMED “Economic has been defined as ‘The study of mankind in the business of life.’ It is precisely because it is concerned with the business of life, or with earning a living, that it becomes singularly difficult to convince the man in the street, or even his representative in Parliament, of the importance of detached and systematic study.” pROFESSOR H. BELSHAW stressed • the importance of the study of economics in his address to business men and students of the subject who

assembled "at the University last night to form the Auckland Branch of the Economic Society of Australia and New Zealand. “There are scores of problems crying for solution,” continued the Professor, a n d quoted for example the merits and limitations of pro-

duce pools the desirability or otherwise of price control; are land values too high? Has the farmer too much or too little credit? The burden of taxation and its effect on industry and' oil the cost of living; tariff problems; unemploymen; trade prosperity and company law. “If economics has been the study of the men we have sent to Parliament,” said Mr. A. G. Lunn, who presided, “then all I can say is that it has been wasted.” “The study of economics should be forced on every man who aspires to Parliamentary honours, every member of municipal bodies, and on every business man.” Dr. E. P. Neale, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, read an interesting paper on the subject of public debt, in which he drew comparisons between the Dominion and other countries. “It has been suggested that an export tax on our staple exports, representing the bulk of the difference between the pre-war and the war prices realised, would have kept down the cost of living, wages and of production, and incidentally have met the whole of our war expenses,” he said, in referring to New Zealand’s war debt of £75,000,000. A council of 14 was elected, including the following officers: President: Mr. A. G. Lunn, president of the Chamber of Commerce. Vicepresidents: Professor PI. Belshaw, Professor J. P. Grossman and Mr. F. A. Hellaby. Hon. secretary: Dr. E. P. Neale. Hon. treasurer: Mr. M. R. O'Shea. Council: Mr. Tom Bloodworth, Mr. W. H. Cocker, Mr. W. A. E. Leopard, Mr. L. A. Mander, Mr. C. C. Munro, president of the Farmers’ Union, Mr. A. M. Seaman, Professor H. W. Segar and Mr. M. Stewart. Hon. auditor: Mr. H. W. Shove. A research committee, consisting of Professors Belshaw and Grossman, Dr. Neale, Mr. Cocker and Mr. Stewart, was also appointed.