The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-09-22
TALKS
ON BUSINESS
BUILDER GIVES GOOD
ADVICE.
COUNTRY IS PROSPEROUS
AND THIS CONDITION is SURE TO
LAST FOR SOME TIME.

James J. Hill, the Empire Builder"
the Father Of the Northwest" cannot
see why the business men Of the
country should at present fear to en-
gage in new enterprises, nor can he
see any reason whatever for the semi
paralysis which is gradually creeping
over the United States.
It's only a ~senseless lack Of con-
fdence," said Mr.. Hill, in an interview
just given out.
And why this lack Of confidence?
Some man, somewhere, has grown
timid over something or other, and
has cried boo at his neighbor. His
neighbor probably jumped and the next
fellow took fright without knowing
why he was frightened. And so on.
It's just like a flock Of sheep. II
one starts to run, every sheep in the
flock will follow, even if they die for
it.
During this big national conserva-
ton congress We have talked about
conserving water and conserving land:
conserving coal and conserving iron;
its too bad somebody didn't say n
word about conserving common sense.
That's what this country needs right
now-to conserve common sense.
There's an article by Col. George Har-
vey in the September North Ameri-
can Review dealing with the conserva-
ton of common sense that we'll illus
trates the business condition Of this
country right now and gives as the
panacea for the buiness paralysis, the
suggestion that our business men use
a little common sense-just ordinary
sound common l wish business
men everywhere would take that ad.
vice.
Il can see no eason for the fears
which seem to possess our business
men. have preached a return to the
farm policy for years and expect to
W w So, III tudt > nO Ied
son for fear on the part of business.
! Money and business are, OF course,
very careful and it is right that they
should he, but not to the extent OF
cutting off their noses to spite their
faces. Especially when it Is so nee
essary and they need the noses, too.
Here's a little excerpt which, to
my mind, bears down hard and strikes
at the core Of our present ills:
"1n the diseStablishment of credit
We find the most obvious cause of the
prevailing depression. The link that
connects labor with capital is not
broken, but we may not deny that II
is less cohesive than it should be or
than conditions warran-. Financially,
the country is stronger than ever be-
fore in it's history. Recovery from a
panic so were as that of three years
ago was lever before so prompt and
comparatively complete. The masses
are practically free from debt. Money
is held by the banks in abundance and
rates are low.
why then does capital pause upon
the threshold of investment? The ans
wer we believe to be plain. It awaits
adjustment of the relations Of govern
ment to business. Such, at any rate,
is the plea, and pressure is constantly
brought to bear upon executives and
courts to make haste-haste which, in
our judgment. would result in less
speed. Great complications growing
out of nightly changed conditions call
for the most serious consideration. To
settle a grave question offhand is only
to invite disaster. Better not settle
1t at all until a reasonable certainty
can be felt that it can be settled right.
Stability Is v e capitals primary re-
quirement. But the adjustment which
1t now demands cannot be effected in
a month or a year and never can or
should be complete. Elasticity is the
prime requisite Of changes essential
to development.
but capital is VIGOROUSLY timid.
In the present instance, too, 1t Is alb
solutely foolish. No decision of any
court can permanently impair any So
called vested interest. Confiscation is
~undreamed of, as compared with only
a few years ago. The disintegration
OF properties does not involve their
destruction. Moreover, the sharp re-
volt against all combinations-those
that achieve great good no less than
those that work injury-is clearly
yielding to study and reason. No sane
person now maintains that business
especially Observation-Disclosures or
should be done as 1t was done half a
century ago. In a broad sense, the