New-York tribune., 1919-04-05
BUSINESS NEWS BUREAU;
Tribune Building
154 Nassau Street
s'Iet's Co.. Slogan
OF Campaign to
Stabilize Prices
National Prosperity Organ
izalion so Act Indepen-
dentiy of Government;
Trade Editors Pledge Aid

4 nation wide campaign was for
sraliy launched last night TO bring
about a sterilization Of prices by busi-
ness and industry Independent of any
governmental agency.
Business men behind the National
Prosperity Campaign, just organized
with the slogan of Tets 60" at a
dinner given to moro than 125 editors
and business managers of the leading
frade publications Of tho country,
asked for and received assurances of
the cooperation OF those mediums in
The appeal which Is aimed to start the
wheels of ths nations industrial ma
chinery going under the stimulus of
active buying from consumers.
Among the different speakers who
stressed the necessity OF an immediate
resumption of industry on normal
basis were Charles T. Lang, president
OF the Lakewood Engineering Company,
Of Cleveland, and n member Of the
organization committee Of the new as
sociation. Mr. Lang emphasized par
ticularly the need Of maintaining high
wages for labor, which in his opinion
was only another way of saying that
prices cannot go back to a pre-war
basis
Says Fog Is Lifting
A. @. Pierson, president of the AS
sociaticn Of Business Papers, who re-
gently returned from Europe, where
he made an exhaustive study of indus
trial conditions, said that it would be
easier TO effect q readjustment in this
country than in Europe. THE only
thing we have to do" he declared, "is
to go ahead"
Even now," he added, "there are evil
dences that the fog is lifting. Retail
ers are doing record business and
there is no glut of merchandise on the
market. Buyers should be educated to
realize that labor makes up so per cent
OF the cost of production and that we
cannot go back to the levels of 1914.
There is q new price basis now. Money
IS cheaper, due to imitation, and the
buying power of the dollar is less than
It was four years ago"
Mr.. Pierson blamed bankers partly
for the hesitation in business, on the
ground that they watched money too
closely when they should take congni-
zance of the entire range of commod-
ities in their relation to prices and
economic conditions.
W. II. Mannas, formerly vice-p -presi-
dent Of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
q member of the War Industries Board
and chairman of the War Service Com
mittees, said reports received by the
National Federation Of Building Indus
tries indicated that immediate building
and construction prospects afford no
great encouragement to industry at the
present time.
Indecision a Menace
only one firm of architects so far
has given a hopeful Tone" he added
"others seem to be depressed because
of the lack of inquiries for large
building projects for the immediate
future. Not desiring to be an alarmist
yet in all truthfulness we are appre-
hensive of present uncertainties and
inactivities, an indecision which may
lead to a national danger and become
menace to our nation"
Mr.. Manns suggested that the ma
tional prosperity campaign call a con-
ference of financial interests, trust
companies, building and loan associa-
tions, representatives Of the United
States Treasury Department, producers
OF building materials, distributors and
fabricators, building material associa-
tons, engineers and architects, repre-
Bentatives of labor, farmers, real estate
associations, highway commissioners
Federal bodies, the governors of each
state and trade paper and press rep
resentatives, all to dicuss and endeavor
to work out in q practical way the prob
lens of reconstruction.
The representatives Of the trade pub
ications agreed to place before their
readers, who, for the most part, are
manufacturers, the complete pro-
gramme Of the prosperity organization
for bringing about a resumption of nor
NAL business. This will take the form
of advertisements presenting the opin-
ions Of noted bankers, economists and
business men on how to go ahead under
full steam.