The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-12-24
A New Freedom for Business

M. w. Alexander in LeSlteS
 The United States Is now easily the first industrial nation of the world whether we measure its position by the amount of capital invested, the num- Der of persons employed or the value of its product. In 1920, S3 per cent of our people were engaged in agriculture and less than 10 per cent in industry. In that year the value of its manu- factured commodities was but s3o, ,OO0,- 900 in excess of the last quarterly pro- duction of the United States Steel cor- poration.
 This year American manufactures will exceed by probably $10,000, GOO, ,000 the combined industrial production of Great Britain and Germany in the year proceeding the great war.
 The National Industrial Conference board will undertake to bring together for permanent, practical round-table study of the national economic. social and political problems of the Ameri- can manufacturer, all the representa- tive national industrial associations dealing with them. It will concern it. self only with problems national in their scope, industrial in character and Of primary importance. It starts with out preconceived opinions but with a firm belief that the fundamental American principle of individual lib- erty and opportunity preserved must be practically realized in the interest of wager-payer and wage earner in every department of production and distribution. It will engage for eco- homie and legal research the best spe- cial talent available, and as it &C., cumulates it's information with respect tn Snarific nfInStinnS will Gilhmif it for the consideration of board 3ruly representative of industry. And when that board reaches it's conclusions re- srecting any pending problem, it will refer it's judgment and recommenda- tions and the facts upon which they arc predicated to it's constituent or ganizations and, upon their approval. the board will feel authorized to ex- press the collective Judgment Of rep resentative industry.
 The necessity for organized research is evident To illustrate: Within few years we have revolutionized the law of negligence. The manufacturer has become an insurer and in response to his own increasing sense of social re- sponsibility and the changes or in- dustry, the great majority of our states have A Asubstituted workmen's compensationS for the system of per sonal liability. The American employer has not Jagged but led in this worthy movement More than 30 states have now accumulated a considerable ex- perience under not only various, but conflicting. statutes.
 The time has come to take a page from an experience not our own anc to apply, as Germany SO successfully has done, the record of achievement to further progress. The operation of la To their interpreta- ton. cost and comparative value should new be ascertained that the features of most practical value may he uni forn1ly obtained and the conflicts of Interpretation harmonized.
 The National Industrial Conference board has decided to undertake this task The development of the corporation, So essential to the conduct of modern pusi- nesD has tended to lessen opportunity for personal contact between employer and employe, but personal contact IS essential to the conduct of modern busi- ness, has tended to lessen opportunity for personal contact between employer and employe but personal contact is es- sential to the sympathetic understand- ing and conduct of joint production. The best method of preserving under chang ing conditions that essential contact IS especially worthy of study and conclu- sion. Tne conpiideioH III iiiuu'eiy' "e.
 CT it be that of production, sale, distri- button or transportation, all of these in their relation to individual and social development are subjects for cooperative study and action.
 Above all. the American manufacturer faces the complex and perplexing prob- lems that cling to the resumption Of in- ternational competition after the war, when the commercial alliances of alert. highly disciplined and desperate nations will turn from the struggles of war to the no less vital commercial and indus trial ,;va Iriea of peace