The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-30
PREDICTS ERA OF PROSPERITY.
President Wilson Tells Convention OF
American Electric Railway Association


Washington, ID. c., Jan. 30.--Another
confident prediction that the country
soon will enter upon new era OF enter
prise and prosperity was voiced yester'
day by President Wilson in speech be-
fore the convention OF the American
Electric Railway association.
Speaking to business men and through
them to the world of business generally,
the president outlined what the Demo
cratic Congress has tried to accomplish
through its trust legislation and declared
that while test period would DC re.
auired to determine whether the correct
remedy had been applied, he believed the
"maze of interrogation points when had
checked enterprise for 20 years had Deen
cleared away.
With a common understanding regard
ing business reached he said, hencetorth
nobody is going to be suspicious OF any
business lust because it is big. He gave
some Of the 'rules Of the game" which
he thought ought to be followed, head
ing the list with publicity" dong
anything under cover"
a have always maintained that the
only way in which men could understand
one another was by meeting one anoth-
err" said the president. III | believed
all that | read in the newspapers, |
would not understand anybody. have
met many men whose horns dropped
away the moment was permitted to ex-
anime their character.
"it seems to me that | can say with
good deal of confidence that we are upon
the eve of new era OF enterprise ana
of prosperity. Enterprise has been
checked in this country for almost ~
years because men were moving amongst
maze of interrogation points. They
did not know what was going to happen
to them. All sorts Of regulations were
proposed and 1t was a matter OF uncer-
tainty what sort of regulation was 60
ing to be adopted. All sorts of charges
were made against business as II bus
mess were at fault. when most men knew
that the great majority of business men
were honest, were public-splrlted, We're
intending the right thing and the many
were made afterwards afraid because the
few did not do what was right.
aThe most necessary thing, therefore,
was for us to agree, as we did by slow
stages agree, upon the main particulars
of what ought not to be done and then
to put our laws in such shape as to
with that general Judgment.
| for one have never doubted that all
America was of one principle. ! have
never dou~xad that all America believed
9 fat hnnnra
and OF good report. But the method, the
method of control by law against the
small minority that was recalcitrant
gainst these principles, was thing
that it was difficult to determine upon.
And it was a very great burden, let me
say. to fall upon a particular admins
tration of this government 10 have TO
practically the whole business
Of final definition. That is what has
been attempted by the Congress now
a bout to come TO a close. II has at
tempted the definitions for which the
country has been getting ready or trying
TO get ready for nearly half genera
tion.
81 will require period Of test 10 de-
termine whether they have successfully
defined them or not but no one needs
to have it proved to him that il was
necessary to define them and remove
the uncertainties and that the uncer-
tainties being removed, common under
standings are possible and universal
co cooperation.
"In the first place, ! feel that the
mists and miasmic airs Of suspicion that
have filed the business world have now
been blown away. ! believe that we
have passed the era of suspicion and
have come now into the era OF conf
dence. knowing the elements We have
to deal with. we can deal with them,
and with that confidence OF knowledge
we have confidence Of enterprise. And
that enterprise is going to mean this;
Nobody is henceforth going 10 he afraid
Of or suspicious Of any business merely
because il is big