Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-01
Thursday, April I, 1915.
! Who 10 shocking the eoat"7

President Wilson wants the people
to stop rocking the boat, but bust-
ness interests want to know who Is
doing the. rocking. The "investiga-
tons" conducted by Secretary Of
Commerce Redfield and hts experts"
haven't seemed to steady the boat
very much. because the substance Of
his reports is that business men don't
know enough to go in when it rains.
A Washington correspondent writes:
Early in his administration Secretary
Redfield startled If not irritated the Dusi-
whenever a manufacturer complained
that hiq 5buDiness had been injured by the
Underwood tariff. the Secretary might or
der an investigation of that business to
aged. Al the sequel has shown. the Sec
retary's threat was not idle. In speech
In the House, Representative Humphrey
OF Washington gave list of lumber con-
Frustrated by the tariff. he charged. and
Secretary Redfield Immediately sent a
special agent to the State Of Washington
to investigate the charge. SeAEetry Red
industry and published its results; and
when the Montgomery Pa.) County As
ISOLATION of Manufacturers sent letter
to the President declaring that tariff re-
In their section. Secretary Redfleld
promptly shot another special investiga-
tor over to Montgomery county.
The results of these three inquiries were
exceedingly satisfactory to Mr.. Redteld.
His Washington man reported back to
him a general denial of most of the state
ments made by Mr.. Humphrey and sug-
gested that some Of the lumber mills had
been closed through incompetent manage
ment. The potters. the second man re-
ported, did not know their business and
needed reorganization on scientific lines
rather than tariff increases. The conven-
lent charge of incompetency also was re-
ported to Secretary Redfield as the main
cause of the troubles Of the MONTGOMERY
county manufacturers. 1t is now believed
that To Department of. Commerce. de-
lighted With the flying studies of Its spec
ial agents, will institute an investigation
OF some of the iron and steel industri9s St,
the United States. \ q
The spectacle of Business intess6tl
tied up by country vide. condfti6 81
visited and catechized by Npt1 NH
experts" posing as having q corner
on all the business wisdom, and wh5
tell business men that they are in
competent to run the businesses they
have built up. appeals to ussas boat
rocking. :
The Department Of Commerce IS
Red to be an aid to industries
~ bcs - country's welfare, in
and thus tothe~ the complaints Of
stead it receives.Ncs: IF YOU had
business and answer .n vo,,u =.
any brains you could n ~
fairs" AA~a
Business men are bound to regard
this element of the situation as dis
couraging. They have compliance
that the low tariff has hurt them AM
they have been informed by Score
tary Of Commerce who never has beel
inside their establishment that the!
are incompetent. They have aske'
for cooperation in protecting then
from unfair competition. outside tn
United States, and have been toll
that this is Just what they need
brace them up. They have supposed
after years of successful managemer
Of their own business. that they kne
how to run it, and Secretary Redhel
has sent them paid expert who hs
said that they do not. This Is abo'
the net Of the situation between II
Department of Commerce and II
manufacturers Of the country as Il
"a Secretary Redfield has been able
go. It may be. of course. that T
superior wisdom which is so mu
needed to rehabilitate American bus
ness is to be found in Mr.. Redfiel
office, but it must be admitted tt
until the manufacturers are convine
Of this his influence in the mat
trial world will fall short Of the
..l:z. - Tho case