Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-30

Banker Believes Plan Could Be
Adopted by His Country ii
With Benefit. S.,

Paul Grosjean. q banker OF Brussclss
who Is here on behalf Of the Belgian
government to investigate and report on
the Erdman law and its efficacy in sets
Ting labor disputes which arise In inter>
state commerce, said. in an interview
today that he considered the Erdinan Law
excellent. and that he believed II
could be copied with great benefit by tho
Belgians.
Not for the Belgian railroads, howl
ever" added Mr.. Grosjcan. because the
railroads in Belgium are owned and op-
Grated by the government and At would
not do for the government TO be hotn
employer and judge in case of dinerei .es
with the employees. But the principles
of the Erdman law can very we'll be ad-
iusted to cover arbitration in coal mine
strikes, factory strikes and other diff
cultics which arise between employers
and laborcrs."
Mr.. Grosjean said that he would be
in Washington for about a week and
would consult Commissioner Neill OF the
bureau of labor and Secretary Nagel OF
the Department of Commerce and Labor
in regard to the operation OF the Erdmau
law. He intends. too, TO so thoroughly
into the matter with the labor organiza-
tons OF the country, particularly tina
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Engineers
and the Brotherhood of Firemen and Enr
ginemen and with the railroads.
II wish to get all sides OF the question
| before ] leave this country" said Mr..
Grosjean.
Mrs. Grosjean an American.
Mr.. Grosjean has travelled extensively
| in the United States in former trips Ia
this country. His wife. who was for
| meriy Miss Mabel Lair of Evansville
| Ind, is at present at her old home, where
she will be joined later by Mr.. Grosjean
Yours is a wonderful country" said
| Mr. Grosjean. Everything here Is on
| big scale, bigger than anywhere else
Even in your wastefulness you excel al!
| the older nations. 1t has been said be-
| fore that what an American family waste:
would be sufficient to support family
! of similar size abroad. And this Is true
| in a very large sense. All classes OF
| Americans are wasteful. and unless they
| learn to save there will be great distress
| in this country some day. The United
States is a yodng nation, to be sure, while
| the European countries have been learn
| ing for years to save, and have taught
| their people how to save. The establish
ment of the postal savings banks I'm thi.
| country is great step in advance and
| viii help the poorer classes TO save theit
| money. 1t is by allowing them to deposit
such small sums easily that they will be
| taught to keep their money for q rainy
| day. Abroad We have had the postal
| savings banks for years, and while we
make it very easy to deposit money in
| these banks we make it exceedingly diff.
| ficult to draw the money out, which tends
to aid the people in saving.
Look at France. All Of her people
| save. They are the great savers of the
world Consequently, France is one Of
| the richest nations. When other nation.
need money they always turn TO France
| for loan"
Too Much tuberculosis.
| Mr.. Grosjean said that America was q
! leader in many sanitary reforms, but
that he could not understand why it did
not make a strenuous effort to wipe out
consumption.
There is more consumption in this
| country and more persons die of it here
than in any other nation I know Of"
said Mr. Grosjean. You have laws
against splitting on the sidewalks and in
the cars But every one splits. and no
one is arrested and fined. If we had
law abroad, the government would Ger
tainly see that it was enforced"
Mr.. Grosjean was entertained at dinner
Monday evening by DIR. and Mrs. j. il.
Gore Invited to meet him We're Gen.
George H. Wilson. Judge and Mrs. Knapp.
DR.. and Mrs C. 2. Neill, Mr.. and Mrs.
Henry Gannett, Miss Larson and Miss
Pierce.