DR. CAIRNS CRYPTIC REMARKS SPELL SOCIALISM

"The Minister for Overseas Trade (Dr. Cairns) last night threw doubts on the Government's ability to carry out its election programme." - The Age, (Melbourne) February 23rd.

Dr. Cairns lamented Australia's poor economic growth rate, which he said was insufficient to support the programme on which the "Labor" Government was elected. We can only presume that he means that revenue from taxation will not increase unless the growth rate increases; no revenue augmentation from higher income taxes from higher wages; from increased sales taxes from heavier consumer spending; from increased company tax from larger company turnovers, etc. etc. This doesn't necessarily mean that the Government's election programme was a good one; it merely means that the Government won't have the funds to do what it wishes to do; a different issue altogether.

Despite the rights and wrongs of these issues, what we regard as particularly significant are the cryptic remarks, which Dr. Cairns made in an address to the annual dinner of the Victorian branch of the Clothing Institute. If these don't spell socialism, then our judgment is well off the mark. Dr. Cairns said: -
…"It is obvious that some new organization is needed to take over after changes have been decided upon - to advise and influence towards rationalization and prevent waste and fragmentation.We will need a plan to increase imports and this plan turns critically upon our ability to bring about structural changes in the Australian economy, without resistance. " (All intentionally hazy; however the intent is clear - Socialization; backed by force to crush any resistance. Ed.)

But more is to come; manpower controls are included in the Doctor's social prescription for Australians: "Unless effective means for social action are properly available to handle transfers of people and resources, then resistance to these transfers is fully justifiable." This means, and we interpret Dr. Cairn's "Aesopian" language, which the trained Communists find so indispensable in masking real aims and intent, - that the Government fully intends to have the powers to regiment the 'work force' a la Peoples' Democracy. At least we have been warned.

"OPERATION EXPOSURE" RAPIDLY GAINS MOMENTUM

"A real winner" has been the general consensus of opinion concerning the League's four-page campaign brochure introducing people to the essence of Gary Allen's None Dare Call It Conspiracy. The initial response to this brochure was even greater than anticipated, with the result that our printer has been hard-pushed to provide us with adequate supplies. But this situation has now been overcome and we anticipate that all orders will have been forwarded by the end of this week.

A Queensland comment: "After hearing Mr. Eric Butler's brilliant in-depth lecture on the developing situation, and the strategy and tactics he and his colleagues have fashioned, it is a great stimulus to know that in these desperate times we have men like Mr. Butler, Mr. Jeremy Lee and others who obviously know what is required. Their planning has been exceptional and their national campaign around the conspiracy theme should be given the full support of all who sympathise with the League of Rights."

"Operation Exposure" is but the first phase of a developing national campaign. Already the orders are pouring in for copies of None Dare Call It Conspiracy, All new contacts are being provided with the Heritage booklist we recently sent out to all supporters. This in turn is starting to generate an increasing demand for all League-recommended publications. And new subscriptions to journals are also coming in. Our aim is to have a maximum national cover with the exposure brochure over the next few months. If a concentrated effort is made, the immediate direct response is a certainty. That has been proved. But then will come the delayed response as other phases of the League's strategy are opened. There is not a moment to be lost. Supporters can act as individuals, through their VPAs or through Regional Councils.

A NON-BRITISH MIGRANT ON THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

"Advance Australia Fair seems likely to be our new national anthem, Mr. John Lovett said yesterday. Mr. Lovett is chairman of the National Anthem and Flag Quests Committee." - Sunday Mirror (Sydney) February 25th.

As an open supporter of an Australian Republic, it is only natural that the Sunday Mirror should he publicising the growing campaign to impose a new National Anthem and a new flag upon the Australian people. It is significant that Mr. Lovett and his backers start from the premise that there is no argument that a majority of Australians desire a new National Anthem and a new flag, and that any contest should be concerned only with alternatives. Any genuine referendum would provide Australians with the opportunity of expressing their views on the present National Anthem and flag.

But when Mr. Whitlam announced his offer of $5,000 for a new National Anthem he was telling Australians that he would not let them have any say concerning the present National Anthem. It will be recalled that Mr. Whitlam made his announcement in Mr. Grassby's electorate, the point being made that Mr. Grassby represented a large number of non-British migrants not happy about the present Anthem. This line of argument has been adopted by most of the opponents of the present National Anthem and the flag.
But we can assure Mr. Whitlam and Mr. Grassby that they do not speak for all non-British migrants on this issue.

The following deeply moving letter appeared in the Sun-Herald, Sydney, of February 18: -
"Sir, When I migrated to Australia the only thing I knew in English was the national anthem. This was because during World War II when the Germans occupied my native country, Czechoslovakia, the British National Anthem was for all of us the symbol of liberty and democracy. As underground soldiers we sang 'God Save the King' as a symbol of the free world and to the memory of those soldiers who died for democracy and freedom for everyone under dictators' regimes.
"For all of us, born or naturalised Australians, there can be only one national anthem - 'God Save the Queen'. "H. Thomson, South Strathfield. "

Those sincere people who believe there is a case for a new National Anthem might ponder on the fact that once Australians cease using the present National Anthem they help further erode respect for the Crown. Let a popular national song grow organically. And let all Australians proud of their heritage resist the efforts of those bigots and shallow-thinking people who seek to pull down the nation's flag.

VICTORIAN CABINET MINISTER CONFRONTS CANBERRA

"State Cabinet yesterday endorsed the stand by the State Housing Minister (Mr. Dickie) rejecting the Federal Government's proposed new Commonwealth-State housing agreement." - The Age (Melbourne) February 27th.

We are pleased that the Victorian Liberal Government is showing some fight on the issue of Commonwealth interference in State programmes; this time the Victorian State Housing programme interference by Canberra in States' rights. Mr. Vance Dickie stated that the Victorian Government would be prepared to take the fight to the High Court on constitutional grounds. He said that -"the first icy blast of centralism" would be repeated in other fields like education and health.

The Federal Housing Minister (Mr. Johnson) met Mr. Dickie in Melbourne and put forward a new agreement on Commonwealth-State housing, which would mean that no funds (from the Commonwealth) could be spent on housing in Victoria without the approval of the Federal Government. This would be tantamount to a virtual take-over of the Victorian Ministry of Housing by Canberra.
Mr. Dickie summed up: - "The Commonwealth Minister came down on Friday with one weapon, and that was bluff".

We admire Mr. Dickie's spirit when he stated: - "We have got a terrific fight ahead of us, and we are going to win it". We most certainly hope that he is right, and the Australian League of Rights will be doing everything it can to assist the Victorian Liberal Government to withstand the buffeting which the "Labor" Government at Canberra is dealing out to it.

The real cause of the States' dilemma goes back many years in Australian political history; certainly to the time of the ceding of States' powers of taxation to the Commonwealth under wartime emergency, and even beyond that. C. H. Douglas, in his "Programme for the Third World War" said
… "In general, a cause is more likely to be comprehensively identified if you consider it a long way back from its effect, and the attribution of an effect to a complexity of causes is, a priori, a suggestion of shallow analysis. It may not be, but in relation to public policy, it generally is so."
Or to put the matter another way, a political effect rarely has only one immediate derivation, but it generally has one primary cause. The 'political effect' in this instance is State impoverishment and utter dependence on the Commonwealth for Finance. The complexity of causes are sometimes defined as Commonwealth-States unfair financial agreements; lack of co-operation between Commonwealth and States; abrogation of States taxation powers. etc. etc.

There is no one 'immediate derivation' as regards this issue (housing); but many, as were pointed out by Mr. Dickie, viz, higher rentals of State Housing homes; ejection of Tenants from such homes if income rose above $90.00 per week; further erosion of States' rights leading on to others; and very many more - the thing multiplies. The 'primary cause', of which C.H. Douglas spoke, is of course the fiercely pursued policy of political and economic centralism, which is intrinsic in the finance-economic system.

Why is it 'fiercely pursued'? Because those shadowy forces which control International Finance, and through this, the banking systems and the accepted forms of finance-economics, know full well that this is so, and have resisted vigorously any effort to rectify the situation, which could easily be done by a mere change in the money 'rules'.

(Please read "Alternative to Disaster" by Dr. Bryan Monahan: 47 cents post free from Box 1052J, G.P.O. Melbourne Vic, 3001)

League supporters should give support to Mr. Vance Dickie, the Victorian Minister of Housing, as they did (and are doing) to Mr. Ray Meagher, the Victorian Chief Secretary - for his stand against the Canberra Moguls, and to Mr. Meagher for his stand against filth and pornography.

U.S.A. CONFRONTED WITH OIL CRISIS: NEW POLITICAL HAZARDS

"The fuel crisis has replaced Vietnam as Washington's foreign policy obsession. " - The Australian, February 19th.

We can recall certain scientists giving warning over past decades that the natural resources of the world were by no means inexhaustible and that nations would be confronted with real problems in the supply of vital natural resources unless the industrial world stopped insanely gobbling these up. So far from this process being slowed down, the reverse is the case. The industrial world is expanding its demand for natural resources as each year passes; and of course the day of reckoning is drawing closer each year.

The United States of America is now an importer of oil. By 1980 the U.S.A. will be importing 50% of its oil, and 70% of that will come from the Middle East. Yes, that's right; who's standing astride the Middle East? Russia. What would happen to America (and the West) if the oil were cut off? And there are more complications. The oil suppliers of the Middle East (many small sheikdoms) will accumulate astronomical cash reserves, and manipulation of these (by interested manipulators) could trigger off a series of international monetary crises like strings of tom-thumbs. The problems compound; almost all stemming from effects 'spin off' by the fallacious system of finance-economics (production for man-made money not for real needs) to which the world is chained, and which problems will exacerbate before the final collapse.

Several great thinkers have recognized the basis problems. It was Honore de Balzac, the French writer, who once said that: "The final battle for Christianity would be over the money problem. Till that is solved there can be no universal application of Christianity."