The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-26
BUSINESS MEN CAN AID GOVERNMENT + PROPERLY ADVISED, STATES CATCH|NGS Prices Fixed Are Imma. terial So Long as Every
 Man Understands
 Them
ESSENTIAL TO TAKE BUSINESS MAN INTO
 FULL CONFIDENCE
Sloss President Says Chief Business of Every Man Now Is Winning
 This War

"There is something bigger and broader than the mere fix ing of prices" said Waddill Catchings, president of the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron company, yesterday in connec tion with the announcement by the government of a scale of prices on steel and iron prod ucts.
 "In the first place it should be un- dersteod that business men every where are behind the government. They want to do all they can. Our brothers and sons and friends are go- ing over there offering their lives, and the attitude of every business man is: Those boys shall have everything they want and need; they can take it all if necessary
 But from the standpoint of the bus mess man it is important to see that I.those things are done which will really be of greatest benefit in win ming this war, Winning the war is now the chief business of everyone of us and each wants to do his part in the most effective way.
 GETTING BEST RESULTS "This is a mere preface to saying that some of the steps the govern ment is taking are not such as arc calculated to get the best results, "The government has the power; it l is all powerful in such matters. We want it to have this power. But when l it enters upon something which in wolves complete departure from all l the regular methods of doing busi- ness it is first of all essential that l business men understand exactly what
 the government is trying to do. l Its price fixing should be based upon some big, broad, general prin- ciple to which all lines of business could adapt themselves. In order to dc this it is necessary for business men | to know. for instance. how the scale of prices agreed upon was arrived at ' It is necessary for them to be con- suited both before and after such prices are fixed. It is not sufficient l for the government to fix a price and announce that there is a bureau where complaints can be made and wrongs rectified. We do not want to be put in the attitude of making complaints We do not want to go to Washing I ton and knock on the door and tell some committee our troubles. We want to know what is going on, that Is all We are willing to make whatever sac rifices are necessary. but We also want | to know that these sacrifices are | yielding the maximum of beneficial re- suits in winning thefwar.
 1 "Take the coal prices. for in- l stance. Six precious weeks have 1 been lost in marketing coal for consumption this winter and many l are going to suffer. Why could
 this not have been avoided if the
 coal men had been taken into the government's confidence, if they had understood what was planned and how the prices announced
 were arrived ats They would have I co-Operated and aided because they would have understood what they were doing. As 1t is. 1t has
 taken them all this time to find out just what to do and even yet
 they are not clear on the matter. l PRICE FIXED IS IMMATERIAL
 "The mere statement of the govern ment's fixing the price of pig iron a $33 a ton for instance has nothing fundamentally to do with the matter If $s3 Pittsburg basis Is meant i would be less in Birmingham because sl the freight from Birmingham to Pitts burg is S4.55 a ton. There is reall!
 no reason to base a pig iron quota | ton at Pittsburg because there i
 scarcely any pig iron sold there. Th'
 great basing points are Ironaton, Bir mingham, eastern Pennsylvania ana
 Buffalo.
 But that is neither here nor there It affects the Sloss company. for in
 stance, not particle because we hav
 every ton we can possibly produc
 for the next six months sold. It doe
 affect us to this extent. however: Ina
 we should know what is going on an
 should have necessary information
 available SO that we can utilize t
 the maximum our efforts in helpini
 the government.
 N That Is what every business ma
 wants to do, It was the dominant not
 in the great meeting of business me
 In Atlantic City last week. We wan
 to help;. just tell us how and let U
 use our business experience and busi
 ness sense in cooperating and aiding That is the spirit over the whole ma ton"
 II POTATO EXPERT TO