New Britain herald., 1915-04-22
Norton Launches Boom
 For Root for President


 from the attacks of the "meddlesome" social uplifters, Charles H. Norton of Worcester, Mass, son of John C. Norton, Plainville's grand old man, gave the manufacturers answer to the question, What Is the Duty of the Community Towards Our Industries" He gave a lengthy address of a prac- tical character in which he made defense of the U. s. Steel corporation, launched boom for Elihu Root for the next president, criticised the pub lie schools of the country and incl dentally took the legislative solons to task for interfering with large busi- ness corporations.
 Business does more for civilization than all other things combined" MT. Norton said in opening his speech. The problem is to set men to work at the things they can do best and the captains of industry who do this do more than they can do in any other way with their money. There was a time when it was said that "kings made the gentlemen, but since the days of Lincoln work has made the men. During the last fifty years the world has seen greater progress than was recorded in 2,000 years before, and with this great progress it is won derfu1 that the industrial leaders have succeeded in doing as well as they have.'
 There was a time" the speaker said, when there was talk about the industrial supremacy of this country. What made this supremacy? When industries first began we savored of the spirit of the Pilgrims. Men knew what duty was and the men knew what work was also. They did not come from families of wealth but they had industry" It is on the momen- tum of the start they made that we are now living" the speaker declared.
 MT. Norton told of expressing this idea some years ago when he was in Scotland and he told a manufacturer in that country that if the time ever came when we were dominated by ig- norance he would tremble for the con- sequences. That time has come" he said. The ignorance of intelligent men, educated men. is injuring our in dustries most. They turn things wrong side up because in their ignor- ance they don't know what they are tipping over. The people are not get ting the truth and are kept in ignor- ance of actual industrial facts by the undertaking publications that employ brilliant writers, who are nothing mere than parasites, to attack the men or wealth and influence simply be- cause it is the quickest way to large circulation and resulting profits.
 Plays Social UpIifters.
 Mir. Norton claimed that there never was a time in the history of the world when so much was done for industry as the present time. To correct what he termed a popular fallacy, the speaker took a fling at certain females who have nothing else to do and who turn to social uplift work. They be- |1ieve the manufacturer is like q man with a box full of money with the sky at one end and a hopper at the other" and it makes no difference what he pays to his employees. "The | manufacturer is willing to pay higher wages, he continued, but it must be | given according to what the emp1oye 1 produces. Instead of making laws | until we are tired of them the country | must pay more attention to efficiency ] and educate men for industries" he | opined.
 He quoted on the matter of busi- ness Elihu Root, and his statement that he would like to see him the next | president was greeted with hearty ap- plause MT. Norton urged his audi tcrs to learn a lesson from the great i IT. g. Steel corporation, which has | done so much to lower the cost of commodities, increase wages and en- urge the boundary of commerce "The high cost of living does not exist It is the cost of high living" He defended the corporations from the attacks of legislators and ex- pressed a wish that the country had men in Washington of the calibre of i the heads of the great trusts.
 On the social uplift movement. MT. | Merton said that there are certain women working towards tnis end who seemingly believe that all the money should be spread around the world in little bits and that their propaganda is really socialism as a result of their ignorance. The speaker did not con- sider such doctrine at all feasible. |