THE PROFESSOR THINKS FREEDOM A LUXURY

"The future world would not be able to afford many of the freedoms people were now fighting for, Professor Henry Mayer said today." - Sydney Morning Herald, March 1st.

The Professor has the sound of a died-in-the-wool Marxist (we know he isn't) when he asserts that the present liberation movements were running against the tide of history. What is so magical about history? This awe and reverence which the modem atheists, agnostics, Marxists, Rationalists, and their ilk have for History is very close to an oriental fatalism. Our reply to this sort of thinking is that Man's fate is in his own hands.

As firm believers in the Christian ethic, we believe that Man can have excellent government with material abundance, and with greater freedom than has ever been known on this planet. We firmly believe that the tenets of the Christian ethic can and should be incorporated into constitutions and government, and the knowledge to bring this about is extant. This, of course, cannot be done whilst the forces of Darkness hold in captivity the finance-economic system, control of which can and does mean the life or death of societies.

The ills and social diseases, which are generated because of the malfunctions of the finance-economic system, are exploited to the detriment of mankind, by other agents of the forces of Darkness in the more political arena. The Professor Mayers of this era may see only despair, Big Government, and the '1984 drama" ahead for modern man; but they are people without Faith - and Faith still moves mountains; through the agency of men and women who have that Faith.

League supporters well know that Evil is self-destroying, and when the destructive process is working itself out, the few, "who know what to do and how to do it", will tip the balance and save Western Christian Civilization.

ABORIGINAL WOMAN'S ADVICE TO CHARLES PERKINS

Like a breath of fresh air, the following letter by Marjorie R. Timbery, of Mascot, N.S.W. appeared in The Sydney Morning Herald, of March 6th.

"Sir, I am a full-blooded Australian aboriginal woman, and in my opinion Mr. Charles Perkins is taking a very one-sided view of the Aboriginal situation. In some cases many aboriginal people have been badly treated by certain sections of the white community, but on the other hand, an equal number, if not more, aborigines have been helped enormously by the white Australian people. It is not much good emphasising the wrongs that have been committed when we fail to mention the rights and the many good deeds extended to my people.
Many talented Aboriginal people would never have been a success except for the helping hand of the white Australian community. To mention a few: Albert Namatjira, Evonne Goolagong, Tony Mundine, Lionel Rose, Pastor Sir Douglas Nicholls, Harold Blair, Senator Neville Bonner, Eric Simms, and Jimmy Little.

My own experience has been that I have always been accepted on an equal footing with the white Australian people. I was an active sports girl in my younger days and had many white girl friends. As a child I was reared on the South Coast of Jervis Bay. My parents, and my brothers and sisters were brought up modestly with white, and a few coloured people, and no difference was ever shown to any member of my family, or to our aboriginal neighbours. We all lived in a very happy, and well-adjusted community. I have served on mixed committees, was deaconess of a church, and a Sunday-school teacher with both coloured and white people. I have acted in Australian films for the A.B.C.; for example - "Serpent in The Rainbow", and "Seven Little Australians", and a few years ago in the film "Uncivilised". I am also a public speaker to a mixed audience.

At the opening of the Sydney Opera House I received an invitation, and was present when our Queen Elizabeth officially opened the Opera House. When the aboriginal actor, Mr. Ben Blakeney, acted the part of "Aboriginal Bennelong", Her Majesty touched my heart deeply, and brought tears to my eyes, when she stood at attention to honour Bennelong. Our late son, Malcolm Andrew Timbery, played football with the Wandandian Football Club, the majority of members being white boys. His aboriginal wife Carol and their children were all accepted by the Wandandian people, and those of the surrounding districts. On my son's tragic death, all of my son's white teammates were broken-hearted at the tragic loss of their friend. They attended his funeral, formed a guard of honour and acted as pallbearers in the spirit of brotherhood.

And so, Mr. Perkins, while you are emphasising the wrongs, which have been done to some of my people, in all fairness, what about mentioning the many kind and helpful hands that have been held out to us? Isn't it time we all learnt to live in harmony as God intended? We are all God's children, and nowhere in the Bible is any colour bar mentioned. Jesus died for all the people of the world, no matter what their race, creed, or colour. So Mr. Perkins, can't we bury the past, and all get together and pray for a harmonious future in God's love? Please God, bless Australia.

THE PROFESSOR MAKES INFLATION PAY

"Inflation is the price to be paid for a high standard of living for most people, according to the economist, Professor Keith Lumsden, of Stanford University (U.S.)" - The Australian, March 9th

Stanford University has a prestigious reputation amongst the elite of the modern business world. A degree in business administration, or some related "discipline" from Stanford would set an able young executive on the ladder leading up to the power apparatus of any big combine. For a professor who admits that economists don't know much about inflation, he is doing very nicely with his fee of $550 for a three-day seminar for Australian "executive" students. Professor Lumsden isn't over-awed by inflation; he says we should be concerned with living with it.

We think that inflation isn't touching the Professor, and it won't as long as he can pull in students at $550 a throw for three days. We think that he would learn a little more by spending a day in conversation with pensioners, superannuants, and small to medium wage-earners with growing families to support; with home, car, furniture to pay off - to farmers with heavy overdrafts over their heads, which they may never repay. The Professor tells us that inflation is the price we pay for a high standard of living - we have been hearing that for a quarter of a century! We wonder how the professor would explain stagflation; industrial stagnation accompanied by inflation, which is a new and emerging phenomenon in industralised societies.

But the era of stagflation is only just beginning and no doubt economists will have some jargon ready at the appropriate time, just as they did in the Great Depression of the early thirties. We'll never forget the Sydney economist who attributed the economic maelstrom to sunspot activity. It would probably never occur to the run-of-the-mill economists that the world's money barons have a vested interest in inflation. As inflation erodes the purchasing power of the unit of currency more and more money must be borrowed by governments, multi-nationals, shipping lines, you name it, at interest of course. But the time is well nigh at hand when even happy hunting grounds for financiers will pass away to clear the world stage for the next phase of the drama in the affairs of Man.

FILIPINO FUSS BRINGS IN A.C.T.U.

"The A.C.T.U. executive yesterday effectively blocked the Federal Governments plan to allow Filipino migrants into Australia to work for the Leyland Motor Corporation." - The Australian, March 9th.

Perhaps the British Leyland Motor Corporation is sorry it ever started this move to have Filipino motor industry workers admitted into Australia. It is only a few days ago since Mr. Peter North, Leyland 's managing director, was declaring that the 35 Filipino workers were to be part of a pilot scheme only, and he was quoted as thinking in terms of one thousand Filipino tradesmen. Leyland did receive many hundreds of letters of protest from all over Australia - Mr. North, not unnaturally didn't like this very much, especially as the writers were reported as having the intention to stop buying Leyland products. Which is a very effective method of making your point!

We can well imagine that many letters, cables, and even phone calls were transmitted between Sydney (Leyland H.Q. in Australia) and the U.K. Headquarters. Although we have not made an issue of the "Filipino Affair" we express the opinion that Leyland Motors was politically ingenuous, insensitive, to to start meddling with an issue which would involve it, boots and all, in Australia's Immigration policy. We would not be at all surprised if Mr. North had some pretty fast talking to do to his chiefs in Britain. Perhaps the Leyland Motor Corporation was "put up" to this move by a person or persons, in Canberra with a view to using the Filipinos as a wedge to prise wide-open the Immigration door; this wouldn't surprise us either!

Now fingers have been burned, and a Leyland spokesman. Mr. John Pola, as reported in The Australian (March 9th) says that the Company may now drop the scheme because of the "fuss" it has created. A man in Mr. North's position should have known that from the outset, and if he isn't in touch with the thinking of the man in the street in Australia it could be debated whether or not he is really equipped to hold down the Company's top job in Australia. But that's the concern and problem of Leyland (U.K.)

Now the unions have bought in to the row, and the Vehicle Builders Union and the Amalgamated Metal Workers' Union are at odds over the matter. Mr. Hawke is to see Mr. Whitlam over the affair (which we suspect will not displease Mr. Hawke) and the Melbourne Age is lamenting that the ghost of racism is again stalking the land. Where will it end? British Leyland Motors and Mr. Peter North will be more careful next time!

SENATOR MURPHY'S HUMAN RIGHTS BILL DRAWING FIRE

"One of Australia's top policemen yesterday attacked the Federal Government's proposed Bill of Human Rights. He claimed it would damage police efficiency." - The Age, (Melbourne) March 9th.

As the Queensland police commissioner, Mr. Ray Whitrod, sees Senator Murphy's pet Bill, the rights of the offenders will be given priority over the rights of the victim, and if this interpretation is correct which we don't doubt it is this interpretation could have serious repercussions in the motivating of police to act at all times with confidence. Mr. Whitrod was chastened by Judge Rapke, of the Victorian County Court who maintained that the Government's initiative on the Bill deserved moral praise. Judge Rapke doesn't think that people in responsible positions should publicly criticise Senator Murphy, but is not adverse to making his own stand on this highly charged political issue clear. To our mind a judge of the Victorian County Court is a person in a responsible position also.

The League's views on Senator Murphy's Human Rights Bill have now been set down in the form of a brochure which all On Target subscribers received last issue - we totally oppose the Bill, and we enjoin all League supporters to purchase a supply of these brochures and give them the widest possible distribution.

Melbourne Conservative Speakers' Club: The next Dinner of the Club will be held at the Sunninghill Reception Rooms 228 Cotham Rd. Kew (Melbourne) on Tuesday the 26th March, at 6.30 p.m. The Guest Speaker will be Mr. Lester Hansen: the title of his. address - "A New World". Mr. Hansen is a freelance journalist whose career has taken him for extended periods from New Zealand, to the U.K. Europe, Canada, to Australia. Bookings to the League office of Mr. Robert Boyack on 68-2625.

Problems With Government

In last week's "Bulletin" we quoted from the English historian, Thomas Henry Buckle, who also said that - "the world has been made familiar with the great truth, that one main condition of the prosperity of the people is that its rulers shall have very little power... That power should be merely adequate to uphold the correct function of government, which is to maintain law and order in all spheres."

Order in the field of monetary policy requires a rule of law, which would enable the individual to run his affairs without the increasing bureaucratic economic despotism so much in evidence today. In one sense there is much truth in the widespread complaint that politics are taking up too much of the individual's time. But this is because governments and their agencies are forcing their way into more and more activities, which should be decided freely by individuals. The essence of the situation is that government must be compelled to disgorge much of the power it has taken from the individual, and government itself must be decentralised. Individuals must associate to force this procedure. Responsible government is only possible if there are responsible electors. Genuine self-government requires individual electors to play a much more active role than merely putting a mark on a ballot paper every few years generally in favour of a candidate regarded as the least of several evils.