Evening star., 1915-01-30

upon the eve Of new era of enter
prise and of prosperity. Enterprise
has been checked in this country for
almost twenty years. because men were
moving amongst a maze of interroga-
ton points. They did not know what
was going to happen to them. All
| sorts OF regulation were proposed and
1t was a matter OF uncertainty what
sort of regulation was going to be
adopted
"All sorts of charges were made
against business, as IL business were
at fault. when most men knew that the
great majority OF business men were
honest, were public-spirited. were In
tending the right thing. and the many
were made afraid because the few did
not do what was right.
The most necessary thing, therefore,
was for us to agree. as we did by slow
stages agree. upon the main particu-
lars or what ought not to be done and
then put our laws in such shape as to
correspond with that general judg-
ment. for one have never doubted
that all America was of one principle
l have never doubted that all America
believed in doing what was fair and
honorable and of good report. But the
method, the method Of control by law
against the small minority that was re-
calcftrant against these principles, was
thing that 1t was difficult to deter
mine upon. And it was a very great
burden. let me say. to fall upon a par
ticular administration Of this govern
ment to have to undertake practically
the whole business OF final definition.
That Is what has been attempted by the
congress now about to come to a close.
1t has attempted the definitions for
which the country had been getting
ready or trying to get ready for nearly
half generation.
Solution to Be Tested.
TT will require period Of test to
determine whether they have success
fully defined them or not, but no one
needs to have it proved to him that it
was necessary to define and remove
the uncertainties. and that the uncer-
tainties being removed. common un-
derstanding Is possible and a universal
cooperation.
TN the first place, feel that the
mists and miasmic airs of suspicion
that have filled the business world
have now been blown away. 1 believe
that We have passed the era of sus-
picion and have com. now into the era
Of confidence. Knowing the elements
We have to deal with, We can deal with
them; and with that confidence of
knowledge We can have confidence of
enterprise. And that enterprise is go
ing to mean this: Nobody is henceforth
going to be afraid of or suspicious of
any business merely because it Is big.
Some men are going to get beaten
because they have not the brains; they
have not the initiative; they have not
the skill; they have not the knowl-
Lodi M 10
that other men have. They will have
to be employees; they will have to be
used where they can be used. We do
not need to conceal from ourselves that
there are varieties of capacity In the
world. Some men have heads, but they
are not particularly furnished.
Some Rules of the Game.
There are, therefore, suppose. GER
tain rules of the game. I will mention
what seem to me some of them. l have
already mentioned one Of them by way
of illustration. First of all Is the rule
Of publicity. not doing anything under
cover, letting the public know what
you are doing and judge OF 1t accord
ing as 1t is: There are steat .ha. H,aus haus
fallen under suspicion because tney
were SO secretive, when there was
nothing to secrete that was oishonoI-
able Publicity. which Is required IN
sport, is required in business. Let
see how you are running the game.
s"Then. in the second place, there 10 a
full equivalent for the money you receive.
the full equivalent in service: not trying
to skimp in the service in order to In
crease profits above a reasonable return,
but trying to make the profits propor-
toned to the satisfaction OF the people
tnat you serve. There isn't any more
solid foundation for business than that.
tod ma
REQUIRES something more than ordinary
sport 1t requires certain kind OF con-
science in business, certain feeling that
we are, after all. in this world because we
are expected to make good. according to
the standard Of the people we hive with.
That, after all, gentlemen is the CHIEF
compulsion that is laid on all Of us.
"Then. the fourth rule, as it seems to
me, is the rule of having the spirit OF
service. I know men In this city-there
are men in the scientific bureau Of this
government whom could cite-who could
make very big salaries, but who prefer the
satisfaction Of doing things that will serve
the whole community, and doing them
just as well as they can possibly be done.
I, for one, am proud OF the scientific bu-
reaus of this government.
Responsible to Public.
"The era of private business in the
sense of business conducted with the
money of the partners-I mean of the
managing partners-is practically
passed, not only in this country. but
almost everywhere. Therefore almost
all business has this direct RESPONSE
bility to the public in ge: al We
owe a constant report to the public.
" hose money we are constantly asking
for In order to conduct the business
itself. Therefore, we have got to trade
not only on our efficiency, not only on
the service that We render. but on the
confidence that we cultivate. There is
new atmosphere for business The
oxygen that the lungs of modern busi-
ness takes in is the oxygen of the pub
lie confidence, and If you have not
got that. your business is essentially
paralyzed and asphyxiated.
II take it that we are in position
now to come to common understand
ing, knowing that only a common un-
derstanding will be the stable basis of
business and that what we want for
business hereafter is the same kind of
liberty that we want for the individ-
ual."
COMPLIMENTS NATIONS CITY.