Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-23
MEN IN BUSINESS
. TRUST TO HARDING
OF Sixteen Democrats in De-
troit, G. o. p. Collector Finds
Only Two for Cox
WANT REFORM IN TAXES
By CLINTON W. GILBERT
staT Correspondent Evening Public Ledger

attitude Of American business in this
campaign. Detroit is one of the great
manufacturing cities " the country. and
its big industry. the manufacture and
sale Of automobiles, has been kcrnly
aware for some timo Of the roadiuSt-
ment that is at hand. 1f mo necessity
Of waiting until credit is improved. Of
even lower prices than perhaps of lower
wages.
Henry Ford has started the fun hv
going back to pre-war prices for his
automobiles. There have been signs right
along that he intended tO dc this.
Where other automobile manufacturers
have been laying off men. Ford has been
laying them off and promptly replacing
them with others. His force has prob
ably not been reduced lie has merely
replaced less efficient men with more
efficient mon. 4 crowd Of workmcn look
ing for employment j. to be seen all the
time about the Ford plant. and tho larg.
est plant. too. for the Dodge brothers
have been pursuing tho same policy OF
replacing those who have been laid off.
When prices begin to bC cut and there
Is talk Of wage reductions, II is n time
Of some business anxiety. MHnufact1r-
ers are prudent and take their politics
rather seriously.
Democrats to Aid Harding
Here is little story which throws
some light upon the attitude Of business
men toward the two parties. 1t was tod
hy a Republican business man here who
has been collecting campaign funds for
Treasurer Uphnm, OF the Republican
National Committee. This collector mad
100 men, prospects, they are called.
70 visit. These prospects were men ot
some wealth. generally speaking, busl
ness men. Among the 100 names the col
lector found those Of sixteen Democrats.
or the sixteen. only two were going tn
vote for Governor Cox. Several of the
sixteen contributed to the RCpublIrGh
campaign fund. some of them anony
mously. OF the Republicans on this list,
all were for Harding.
You ask what Detroit business men are
chiefly interested in in this campaign,
and you arc told that ii is the federal
taXcS. csppcially the excess profit tax.
They want n reform of the taxes. To
find out how much information bust
ness mon have and how much they
really thought about this issue YOU say.
"Govprnor Cox favors the abolition OF
the excess profit tax, and Cox himself
Is a very good business man. In Ohio.
where he is known. he is recognized
as an unusually able business man.
Doesn't he appeal to the business men
especially the DemOcfutlC DuSlneSs lhtH
of Detroit?
The business men you question thus
look at you blankly. They know little
about Governor Cox. and apparently
they care little. The campaign some
how has not been cnlightening, or they
have not been sufficiently interested TO
learn anything from it. You press
to know why business wants Repub-
: lican administration. They reply they
would rather trust the Republican party
than the Democratic party to revise the
taxes. especially the excess profit tax,
and to pass the business legislation that
will come in the next few months OF
readjuStmcnt.
Harding Election "Steadying''
No one here expects this rcadjust-
ment 10 be severe At least every one
speaks optirnistically. whether he
thinks as optimistically as he speaks or
not. But every one SAYS that the
election Of Senator Harding will have
a steadyins effect. This may he only
the old prejudice on the part Of bu>i-
ness in favor of the Republican party.
hut it is what every one says. At
any rate all echo til" common cry.
They want n change at WashiugtOn
You have to 20 down bcuoath the
surface TO find ont what tn" political
opinions Of people here are. Michigan
is quite in contrast to Indiana. in
Indiana everybody talks and thinks
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me NEWSPAPERS h"r" PRINT mn" po-
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sought ro GOT ON the Rep9n'iror s,a,.
ticket her" for yIndirnriou. blr Mr.
Grosbcrk. the Republican candidate for