Evening journal., 1915-03-22
WOODROW WILSON
AND AMERICAN BUSINESS
Major HiggiRson on the Plight of Enterprise
in the United States

est as IL is now interpreted and enforc
ed. And if the government of the
United States cannot afford to be hon
est, what right have the officers of the
United States to expect that the citi-
zens shall be honest? Or, to put it the
other way around, why make our citi-
zens render untruthful accounts at the
bidding of United States official?
The case is so preposterous that peo-
pie will not believe in its possibility;
but it is a fact.
Nobody likes to pay taxes. but this
income tax law has been accepted and
obeyed. In many cases. il should be
said. the income tax has been paid un-
der protest. because of this great in
justice; and, il anybody chose to take
a case to the Supreme Court, it would
seem most unlikely that the Su-
preme Court would support the action
Of the government officials. Yet the
truth has been stated TO high Off
GERS of the government and they have
done nothing about il. Probably they
make the same reply, openly or under
their breath that a distinguished past
! President made about the bank
ing bill. that 'he had not had time 10
consider it," Yet the banking bill is
TO all business men a most welcome
addition, and we arc grateful for IT.
The government has not passed
more important bill in many years.
II is a sound and helpful bill because
it came from a study of the subject
and not from the hostility of legisla-
tors toward certain classes OF citizens.
II every effort we're made to stop
all fresh legislation with regard to
business, if the cries of members Of
] Congress were hushed, II we had on
our various commissions men such as
reputable mercantile concern would
wish TO have as partners. namely. men
of experience, high character, ability
and knowledge OF the subject before
them, we should do better A case
In point is the Interstate Commerce
/ Commission, where we have some
good men with no special knowledge
about railroads. who are asked to
Judge the rates for the railroads all
over the United States. The best that
an able set of officers of any railroad
company can do, with long and care
| ful study and with extensive knowl-
edge OF details, is to manage a single
railroad company we'll. fix its rates,
meet the various claims upon II, and
in short, adjust matters so that the
machine will run smoothly. This In
terstate Commerce Commission under
takes to do all that for everybody; and
1t is an impossibility.
The weakest point OF all in the pro-
gram of the government we have been
having imposed upon us is that if
industries of all kinds are neglected
through discouragement of the leaders
i'm business the laborcrs suffer. and
suffer very much. as they arc suffer
ing today. The government, Federal
or State, can take existing properties
away from their owners, but it can
not induce owners to put up fresh
money This bears more harshly on
the laborers than on anybody else
, Ignorance rules severely whom 1t rules
, The laborers in various fields are
: learning this fact.
No one will deny that wrongs have
! been none in the business of the coun
try: but no one will believe that two
wrongs make a right. Granting thai
, the government regulations have done
good in certain ways, and no doub'
they have, yet none of them have
done SO much good as the government
can do now by taking its hands OF
letting people alone, and instructint
the various commissions not to pro
ceed against corporations as a Grim
t inal lawyer proceeds, but as judges
fair minded open minded and indus
trious. in learning the facts with re
I gard to that which they judge.
5 All this may appear TO you a series
; of disjointed reflections; l am not eX
3 pert in writing formal articles. Blu
! / have given what seem to me th'
e chief difficulties of the business situa
2 ton and the course that should be fol
I lowed TO escape from them.
Z HENRY l.. HIGGlNSON.
- Boston, Mass, February %.