New-York tribune., 1917-06-14
Why Not Stick to Business Principles?
By Charles Ferguson

the New Epoch has shown-as | also
have tried to show in The Great
News"-that it is impossible for the
United States 10 achieve economic unity
and strength on bureaucratic principles
that our historical conditions are sucn
that we must stand or fall by our aoll-
ity TO make social and scientific the order OF
things that rests on free contract, corporate
organization and the administration OF credit
Thus the bottom objection 70 the militarz-
ing of American business is that 1t cannot De
done The attempt 10 do it will end in fee
bleness and confusion. 1t is not too late Tor
Washington to perceive and act upon THIS
truth.
Washington cannot regimentate the work
ing forces of the country. The working
forces Of the United States are capable OF
performing economic miracles by personal
enterprise and free organization. They are
not capable of feeding our own population
TO say nothing of feeding Europe and fur
rishing the sinews of a world war-by forced
labor and bureaucratic dictation. This is
natural fact, which we have now 10 accept or
reject-with corresponding consequences
What Washington can do is to create an
organ of scientific and technical intelligence
TO tell the country exactly what is wanted.
There is need in Washington of supreme
board of requisition and apportionment TO
specify to the several natural commercial
units of the country the twelve Federal Re-
serve districts are convenient unlts-preciseiy
what munitions and supplies, appropriate TO
their local productive capacities, the nation
requires OF each of them
That being undertaken, venture TO say, as
student of American business and the
hat. Wac
rely with tranquility of mind upon the free
initiative of the several communities to inn
p~ovise such forms of financial and indus
trial organization as would meet the various
requirements margin to spare
Tax Industrial Communities
am speaking now of the production OF
commodities on a commercial basis, out
venture to suggest in passing that we may
find, before we get through with this war
that local requsition of goods IN KIND IN
something like the manner here proposed
will prove to be the only suffcing method OF
taxation. | mean to say that the stress OF
those times is likely to deliver our minds
from hoary fiscal supersttions, so that we
shall perceive that the only way to get great
public revenues without stopping the wheels
Of business is TO quit taxing individuals and
70 tax industrial communities instead. For
in an age of high technology an industrial
social unit becomes in effect living organ
ism. and to tax the individuals in such an
organism is like extracting a toll of blood
bile. chyme and chyle from the several organs
Of the human body
In relying upon the free action Of the
Federal districts TO improvise business ma
chinery for increasing the production of food,
clothes and war-gear it should be accounted
a distinct advantage that the methods would
be various Vital Improvements in social
correlation and creative power are commonly
arrived at by experimentation. And there Is
no stimulus TO social effort so arousing as
the rivalry Of neighborng communities bent
upon a common purpose. Under this stimu-
lus the mere rituals and mummeries of bank
ing trade and labor that have resisted reform
through sodden generations would be dis
carded with light heart. The most powerful
form of industrial mobilization would ditfuse
itself and prevail