The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-20

Especial Despatch to The Bcformcr.)
Copyright 1921.
WASIIINGTON, Jan. 2O.-Loading
business ment want Warren Harding on
MS assumption of the presidency to create
an informal economic council or cabinet
with which he could consult ON legislation
and other policies of government that
affect the nations business.
The council would be unofficial and re-
sponsible only to the chief executive who
.ould of course, accept or reject the sug-
gestions made. The function Of the coun-
ell would be purely advisory. The idea
grows out of the splendid use which the
government made during the war of just
such advisory bodies.
Business men Of prominence who have
been discussing the idea were at first in
lined to take it to MaFion, but they con
cluded that it was something that could
ust as we'll be taken up after Mr.. Harding
$ iuaugurated. The principal argument
which Is made in behalf of an economic
council is that congress shortly will begin
to revise the tariff. Political pressure
will be brought to bear by sections of the
country and by individuals. whose partic-
ular interests are affected. No one agency
would be inclined. it is COntended. to look
at the tariff question from national as
pect. considering particularly the effect
of a bill as a whole, ON the foreign trade
of the country or international exchange.
From whom would Mr.. Harding be able t.
get an unbiased and national point OF
view on the tariff: The tariff commission
and members of the finance and ways and
means committees of congress would be
absorbed in the scientific application of
tariff rules and formulas. Thus, the
purely business point of view as reflected
in the national business organizations of
the country and the banking world might
go unrepfeSentCd
But the authors of the idea-and among
them are men of influence in the banking
and business wOrld-do not ask that the
council be made up solely of business
men. They suggest that representatives
Of labor and of agriculture. as well as dis
tingulShed economists, shall sit on the
advisory council and be called into SEES
sion whenever the president has any par
ticular problem on which he wants adj
vice or judgment. Many a dispute has
arisen in the past over the probable effects
of legislation and while some members of
congress have cOntended that particular
bill would help foreign trade others have
argued that it would hurt. There has
been no group of disintereSted individuals
with a business viewpoint to whom a preSi-
dent could turn for an authoritative opin-
ion.
No person knows all about business
and in the past chief executives have relied
upon u few friends some of whom have
given good advice and some of whom have
innocently given bad advice. Many bust
ness men who see bad piece Of legislation
in the making are either too busy or toe
modest to write the president or to call
on him and point out the flaws. The pro
and con of business legislation is usually
fought out by the particular interests who
are adversely affected and very little noise
is made by the large number of people who
might be benefited. Even such a powerful
institution as the Chamber of Commerce