Evening star., 1919-04-30
future BUSINESS
MORE COOPERATIVE
Secretary RedfieId's Solution
of Difficulties Not Met by
Antitrust Laws.
ADDRESS IN ST. LOUIS

BY the Associated Press.
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, April 30.-American
business in the future will be more
cooperative than competitive, and
this cooperation will solve many OF
the difficulties that the present made
quate anti-trust laws fail to solve.
William c. Redheld. Secretary of
Commerce, declared in an address be-
fore the Chamber Of Commerce of the
United States today.
He characterized extreme competi-
ton as destructive and uncontrolled
combination as dangerous. but added
that the ethical evolution" now in
progress will bring forth the proper
solution for business. which. he said.
had outgrown the law intended to
control it.
Nothing is more certain than there
has been great change Tor the pet
ter in the ethics and methods of trade
since the antitrust laws came into
being" he said. These laws were the
expression Of the moral judgment OF
the country against certain business
procedures deemed injurious to the body
polite and considered to lack sound So
cial sanctions.
Business Thought Arrested.
was arrested and was made to fix it
self on the social obligations that
tion Of business in its socia! relations
fecting human lives has greatly ad-
vanced and its growth has established
new business customs and higher
business standards. SO that we would
M lnnper tolerata the cruder and
coarser methods Of former days.
II have become convinced that the
advance in ethical purpose, in moral
tice in the business world has sepa-
rated it widely from the actual con-
ditions with which the antitrust
SO that tho form and substance of
those laws as they stand in literal
form relate in no small part to
past which If not dead is at least
The principles and practices of
business are in state of constant
evolution. and it follows, therefore.
readjusted in order to conform to new
conditions, Mr.. Redfield said.
Effort to Keep Pace With Trade.
"In the effort to keep pace with the
life of trade Interpretation of law may
go far afield." he continued. 81 thiek
there is cause to wonder whether it is
morally sound to construe law frankly
intended to prevent combinations in re-
straint Of trade SO as to prevent CO.
operation in promotion OF trade. have
always felt as man Of business that
there are two assumptions common to
bur public discussion OF commercial
| matters which are essentially wrong.
One is that competition is OF itself SO
desirable that it should be restored II
need be by force Of law. The second Is
that the attitude Of suspicion toward
business is an evidence Of wisdom.
Few will deny that there are ele-
ments Of good in q strictly competitive
state of business, but II competition is
the life of trade every one knows that
in extreme form it may also be the
death Of trade. II we attempt to end
ton, We provide that which. II it goes to
| the full normal limit. will itself create
monopoly. Competition at its full means
the survival Of the stronger"
The speaker added that if ''competi-
proved to be both. And, as the path OF
competition was strewn with the COM
merce dead SO also is the way along
! which combination ran"
! He said that cooperation is the end
| in which the energies of commerce
would flnd full scope without being
destructive on one hand and danger
Gus on the other" He said by CO.
operation he did not refer to the de-
yelopment Of cooperative societies
sin which Russia has been a leader.
but rather to q new business standard
hardly formulated yet. but really
operative, whereby industry and COM
merce recognise three-fold obligations
ana endeavor frankly to adjust them
selves to them"
When Uncertainty Will End.
Business uncertainties will be swept
aside the moment the government
substitutes a stimulating propaganda
for its present policy of hesitancy,
Gov w. E. Edge of New Jersey de-
clared in an address.
Americas part in reconstruction of
France and trade relations between
I,,~ 81