The Washington herald., 1908-02-22

Boston. Feb. 2l-Oscar s. Strsus. Secre-
tary OF Commerce and Labor, at the ban
quet Of the merchants of Boston on their
forming a permanent organization for the
general commercial and civic welfare to
night. spoke on Commercial bodies and
the national government
straus. in the course OF his remarks.
praised the administration Of President
Roosevelt, and said in substance. that
business men ought to thank God for hav-
ing such man at the head of the
nation.
In part Mr.. Straus said:
The first requisite OF good permanent
business conditions is good morals-not
one kind Of morals for the farmer who
drives his cart Of produce TO market and
another kind of morals for the railroad
which brings the products Of the farms
and factories from distant points. Equality
of opportunity and rights is as necessary
on the one highway as on the other. No
unreasonable conditions or restraints must
be placed upon either
There are combinations which promote
trade and combinations which restrain
trade; TO check both is harmful. TO per-
nit both Is more harmful. To adjust our
laws 10 preserve corporate industrial and
individual rights, and by all means in
dividual rights. and TO curb wrongs,
whether corporate or Individual is Of the
highest concern. not only 10 commerce.
but 10 the stability OF the Commonwealth.
Cooperation Is Valuable.
"The rapid extension Of British and Ger
man trade throughout the world is due
in no small degree 70 the helpful CO.
operation Of trade bodies with govern
ment agencies. No country possesses more
intelligent. educated. and progressive men
Of business than our own. and yet we
have lacked a medium for that systematic
cooperation which is so helpful, not only
to our executive departments bat also
to Congress. in formulating policies and
legislation affecting our domestic and for
eign commerce.
Commerce and industry stand to-day
on higher plane than in any other age
and they are contributing more 20 the
true grandeur Of nations and TO the true
welfare Of the masses than either the
military spirit or the spirit OF conquest
Commerce has placed more Of the com
forts OF life within the reach Of the
masses than has been enjoyed by them
IN any past age.
Standards Are Higher.
And I say this. not overlooking the
fact that there is still much misery, and
that the demand Of labor for better wages
and for more of the comforts of life is
more urgent than ever before.
But that is one Of the indications Of
progress. that the masses seek higher
standards Of life and living The true
welfare of a nation is not measured by
the number of millionaires. but by the
condition of the millions
1.-The successive supremacy in com
merce Of the italian republics. Holland
and Great Britain. as compared with the
commercial backwardness OF the despotic
countries of Europe during the same
periods, expresses almost in exact figures
the measure of freedom in those reSpec-
tive lands
There never was more urgent need for
right thinking and right acting in cor
porate and in political affairs than now
for a power that makes for righteous
ness in our everyday affairs-from labor
toward capital no less than from capital
toward labor; the power of the big stick
| is needed because there are big abuses 20
be corrected and big law breakers to be
checked"