Evening star., 1917-09-09

1861, when "a ravenous crew." as Ed
win NJ Stanton, Secretary of War, pic
tured them, "pillaged the government
and the soldiers on every side and used
the Treasury of the nation as a fund
to be divided among themselves"
Simon Cameron. serving previously
in the war office had been compelled
by the emergency which then presented
with whomsoever could execute them" :"
Stanton had all such contracts in
vesigated and ended many Of them
on the ground Of fraud. Later he eX-
planned. in a letter written to a clergy
man, but not published until seventeen
years after his own death. that the bit
ter censure which burdened his life
during the civil war was occasioned
driven from the department, where
they were gorging millions.
Prices, of course. lie at the founda-
tions of business. Business is good or
bad by the barometer of quotations.
Manufacturers are asking if. through
patriotic motives, they are willing to
sell their products to the United States
at, say, 10 per cent over cost. whether
they will be required to. deal with
opulent Great Britain or any other for
eign nation on the same basis?
The answer to this question in many
quarters is an emphatic Yes. If
American soldiers must fight side by
side with trenchmen. Eng!ishmen. Ital
American business men should do the
same. They must forget profit and, for
time at least, their nationality. Busi-
ness replies that IL is an institution,
like a government, a religion or a po-
litica1 organization. 1t should not be
confused with the man himself, who
dies: whereas business goes on from
generation to generation that men who
live may obtain their bread and butter,
their shelter and clothing.
x
The philosophy of business. so busi-
ness asserts, is to keep things going
SO that men back from battle will not
only find the government in operation.
but all of the instrumentalities of in
dustry sound and vigorous.
This article is no more than an at
tempt to explain the thought which
prompted the calling of the Atlantic
City meeting. The writer. it should be
understood, is only reporter He as
sur1es no responsibility for the reason
ableness of the doctrines he ascribes
to business. Nor will business men
themselves. in advance of their confer
ence. openly give voice to their opin-
ions. They are to meet and agree
less they say prematurely the better.
A commanding trade character. how
ever. said:
"If a fighter wins no battles. he ac-
complishes nothing. He fights in vain,
except. perhaps, defensively What
spirit he possesses evaporates.
IF a man of business is prevented
from achieving success. he loses energy,
initiative and confidence. l would let
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prices L would encourage him in al!
the ways that are necessary.
And then 1 would tax him and his
partners. if it We're required. until
man from his mill or his factory. his
store or his mine in the measures l
would take to carry on the war with
Germany.
Il would make the man fight with his
money, but 1 would not drag his bust
ness into battle and have it shot TO
pieces or destroyed utterly. l would
maintain it and guard it so that it
could be used in the great trade con-
test that is to follow when Prussian-
ism is ended.
The error we make in thinking
about taxes. prices and other fiscal
phases of the war is to personaliZe
business. or at least irremovably to
associate it with the men who own it
at the moment Men create business
and then lose their identity h,ns,taat in that
is greater than man himself.
For example: Who owns the great
corporations? Thousands of persons
whose names are never read in print.
| would tax them; would take away
their individual profits, but | would
not butcher the goose that lays the
golden eggs.
Business, in the debate at Atlantic
City. will have something specifically
to say about wheat. The grower of
wheat next year is to receive s2.2o a
bushel for his crop. or double the price
that prevailed before Emperor William
and his Prussian staff set out upon
their overland journey to Paris. Busi-
ness says that $2.20 bushel may be a
reasonable price. 1t is not concerned
with the figure, be 1t much or little.
What it asks is this: Why was the {