The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-04-15
TUESDAY, APRIL Is, 1919.
WHAT BUSINESS WANTS.


A QUESTIONABLE sent to the 400
members of the National association of
Manufacturers has brought out very
clearly what the business interests of
the country desire and its opinion of
conditions in this country. The fol
lowing eleven obstacles to good bust
ness are given in the order of their
Importance in the eyes of these prac
teal business mem
% Delay in signing the treaty of
peace; (2) general high cost of labor
and material; (3) sudden cessation of
war buying operations by the United
States and foreign governments; az
hand-to mouth buying by jobbers, re-
tailers and consumers awaiting expect
ed price reductions; 90 continued gov
eminent control, management and OPP
GRAFTON of railroads, etc; (6) sudden
imposition Of heavy war revenue tax
burdens on industry; ca labor unrest
agitation and industrial strife; (S)
high prices of wheat due to govern,
ment guarantee; (9) unemployment
and poor distribution of labor forces re
| leased from naval or military service;
| (l0) delay in settlement by federal
! government of claims for payment UNI
der informal war contracts; (11) par
| tial shutting off of important European
markets due to import trade embargoe:
| by Great Britain, France and Italy.
The digest thus summarizes the opin
ions of the association members as tt
what is needed to promote nationa
prosperity and return to nehmal bust
ness conditions:
''Stop war time extravaganee; re
turn the railroads and the wires to tn
owners; modify taxes on industry; lie
the government bear the losses OF
wheat-the foundation of food prices
abolish warperiod regulating agencies
let increased production Justify higl
wages; have the government pay it
war bills; inaugurate public works; ed
9ate the public in the elements of &c
onOmics. ~
1t will be noted that the govern
ment is responsible for six (Nos1. 8, {
6, 8 and 10) of the eleven obstacles t
good business. Perhaps it would b
more correct to say seven or eight a
| the government is largely responsible
for the general high cost of labor an
material and the eleventh obstacle
placed on business by foreign govern
ments.
Special regard should be given til
A first two recommendations for the prt
motion of national prosperity and II
turn to normal business condition
4 There is no question that extravaganza
4 is one of the greatest evils of the da,
AS we have previously stated, govern
4 ment management of the railroads an
\ wire services is fatal to private bus
: ness.
Il Very significant is the fact that o.
II position to labor is not shown by Il
4 manufacturers. They do not sugge
H wage cuts but more reasonable liyin
II methods by laborers and their familie
Il They say:
II "'The high wages paid during Il
/ war has started the workers on re
Il ular orgy of spending They are n
II saving their money but are indulgiI
/ in all kinds of luxuries that they wou
II have hardly thought about before Il
II war. This is particularly true in L
II case of jewelry, monographs and a
tomobiles. Musical instrument make
!. and retailers everywhere report nul
: berless instances of people wanting
buy monographs with Liberty bon
and the same is true in regard to aut
mobiles. They do not want cheap i
struments but the expensive, maho
any finished kind.
Return to normal business condition
lies very largely in the hands OF t
people. First, they must restrain the