The St. Joseph observer., 1917-02-17
BUSINESS MAN
PHILOSOPHERS


Not many men can talk to business
and government as Edward N. Hur-
ley has done IN his recent book,
Awakening of Business" published
by Doubleday, Page q Co., and get
away with It. Mr.. Hurley Is a sue
cessful business man, and at the pres
ent time chairman or the Federal
Trade Commission. His double ex-
perience has enabled him to see what
is wrong with both business and the
administration of government, and to
point the way to harmony. Mr.. Hur-
| ley makes the startling statement that
approximately 80 per cent of the
manufacturing and merchandising
concerns in this country are without
adequate cost accounting systems. For
| the past years he has been preach
ing the gospel of better cost account
ing methods, and in his book he sue
| cinctly sums up his conclusions upon
| this subject. His way to efficiency is
perhaps a longer and more tedious
than others which have been suggest
| ed, but he makes 1t perfectly evident
that nothing can be done in this
country, looking toward the building
of q sound, secure industrial organi-
zation, unless American business has
at hand the means of informing both
itself and the public. Mr.. Hurley
points out in his book that man must
not only be interested In the eff
cheney of his own factory, but that
he must be interested in the factor
les of his competitors. Our industrial
system is sensitive, and defects and
weakness at 1 point are certain. soon
er or later. to injure the entire in
dustry. therefore, urged business men
to cooperate together thru trade as
sociatlons for the purpose of elimin-
ating bad practices, improving their
cost accounting methods, and work
ing out q comprehensive plain of ef-
fifiency in merchandising and manu-.
featuring. ''In the west, we perhapt
do not realize, as keenly as those who
live in the coast states, the import
ance of foreign trade. Mr.. Hurley's
chapters on this subject are particu.
larly Illuminating and show the vita
Importance of cooperation for ths
purpose of marketing our product.
abroad, not only for the business mer
involved, but for the prosperity o.
the whole country. In considering
, the relation between government anC
business, Mr.. Hurley lays down GER
tam blOao Sobohi ONSiNO pAAhNAPAVSs ~
the past, he points out, business ha
failed to understand government, ant
has attempted to solve its problem
! by means Of price fixing and othe
methods which violate the Sherman
law. and government, on its part, ha
, tried to solve our business and eco
/ nomic problems thru the courts. Mr
! Hurley thinks that both have beel
, wrong. He is opposed to price fixing
and In favor Of the enforcement o
the Sherman law, but he feels tina
, courts and lawyers are not the bes
way to work out our economic prob
lens. He believes that thru an or
ganization such as the Federal Trad
Commission. business and government
can come together and In conference
work out their common problem
together. Apparently his ideals 70
the future Is that there shall exist |
o Washington commission whic
shall work out, in a constructiv
and sympathetic way. our economi
and business problems and work theT
: out In way which shall be benefi
= cial to both business and the Ameri
= can public. Mr.. Hurley's book goe
> q long way to clarity our compile
!, and involved business problems. H
wishes to make business fair and in
= telligent. He wishes to awaken 1
:. the minds of business men an inter
t est, not only in the efficiency of thei
t own business, but In the industry {
= which they are part. lie, hirnsei
4 typifies the statesman OF business. an
a our government is not only fortunat
Q in having him for a public servan
Q but we are fortunate in having
I book from his hands which sums u
1 in such an illuminating way the phi
o osophy of business which he Is preach
= ing.-Emporia Gazette.