The Washington times., 1921-06-15
Regulation
STUDY OF SITUATION.

A study of the whole situation.
| supplemented by innumerable talks
with all classes and conditions of
| citizens. begets the very frm opinion
1 that we are only starting along the
pathway toward regulation OF in
| dustry.
The most recent BILL designed to
| give the Government a strong resula-
tory grip upon the packing industry.
10 only q foretaste Of what may be
| expected In many other directions.
| The indications are that the public
and their law-msking representa-
tives will go quite far In curbing the
| freedom of industry and business.
May make a suggestion, may
sound a warning to our responsible
men of affairs7
In a word 1t is this:
Don't blindly night regulation.
Regulation is coming.
Regulation has to come.
Regulation, IL sensibly gone about.
will prove incalculably benencial TO
business in the long yrun-as we'll as
beneficial to the public.
Suppose the nnar..aI ana business
world adopts a short-sightedly an
tasonistic policy to all proposed reg
ulation. instead of cheerfully CO.
operating in evolving rational regu-
lP<ry measures. what is likely to be
the upshot7
The upshot Is almost certain to
take one ,f two forms: Either un-
wise regulatory laws will be passed
over the protest of those directly in
terested, or regulation of any kind
will be defeated at least in certain
Instances.
WHAT WILL BE REsULTs
And what will be the resulty
Regulation which would overshoot
the mark would cripple business and
lead to further dissatisfaction and
distress.
Or, IL the public should be frus-
trated in their efforts to briny about
regulation, they would simply nurse
their wrath until opportunity came
to vent oteir illwill against business.
and they would then be not at all par
ticular as to how they man-handled
business and business leaders.
After all, in this democracy the
public can eventually write their will
into the statute books. That is one
thought which every responsible
man of AFFAIRS should fmplant nrmly
in the forefront of his mini:
Another thought never to be for
sotten is this Where the public
rules. as in the United atates, unjust
practices against this public will not
be tolerated forever, NO matter how
Powerful or plutocratic those perpe-
trating the unjust practices may be.
There is no business, no industry, no
sroup, beyond reach OF the ballot.
Ii. Il not tolersbly clear that the
sensible course for business men to
adopt at this time 10 one of concilia-
tion, one of cooperation with those
publicly elected authorities who are
earnestly striving to evolve regula-
of the peopleH
Industries which have not incurred
the antagonism of the people, indus
tries which have been laudably free
from nefarious practices against the
rublio interest. have little or nothing
to fear from regulation.
On the other hand. whore hagrant
evils have been revealed, IL Is en-
tirely logical that the public should
insist upon retaliating, and retalia-
ting without the slightest consid-
GRAFTON for the evildoers. In other
words. where It has been clearly
demonstrated that the rules of the
game need to be drsstioally changed
IL must be expected that the rules
will be changed drestically.
True, there is danger that reguls-
tion may be carried to unwise and
unwarranted lengths. This danger,
however. will not be averted by busi-
ness men adopting standpat, re-
dictionary attitude. The best re-
suits for the whole nation can be
attained II an enlightened. progress
sive policy is adopted and pursued.
Unless we have conciliatlon and
60 operation now, we will invite
something very much more unpala:-
able by and by.