Palatka daily news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1919-1994, 1921-11-14
TOO MUCH TALKING.
AND n D 7 ENOUGH
WORK, SAYS insult.
(By Associated Press)

just now is too much talking and not
enough working, Samuel insult of
Chicago told delegates to the Amer
lean Gas Association here today. Mr.
insult who started life as stenogra-
pher for Thomas A. Edison and to-
day is head of the gas and electric
utility companies serving Chicago,
ridiculed attempting to "legislate
good times"
He declared that if the hands Of
the utility industry, alone, were I'M
tied and quibbling stopped, new de-
velopment and new construction
work needed by the nation would go
far toward ending the unemployment
situation. He urged that the ma
ton be encouraged to become a race
of savers and investors, rather than
of MASTERS and spendors and declar-
ed that investment makes good citi-
zens. He pointed to the great army
of men and women who now own
public utility securities, and declar-
ed they had already solved the ques-
ton of public ownership of utilities
and constituted real public owner
ship.
Mr. insult said: Everyone is Civ
| ing advice to his fellows as to what
courses they should pursue in order
to make things come out all right
plentiful 7advice-but the advisers
are are not working with their hands
and minds to do the thing themselves
When We try to substitute laws and
ordinances and theories for lod fash
toned business initiative and enter
prise, operating in conformity with
economic law, that moment we stop
going forward and start slipping
But it does not seem that we are
wedded-or too many of us are-to
enthusiasm for telling the other fell
low how to run his business and for
putting obstacles in the way of his
doing things the way experience has
taught him they must be done
Take for example this great util-
ity industry of which we are a part
Almost every day the newspapers
Impress upon US the deplorable gray.
ity of the unemployment situation
You and know that the utility in.
dustry alone needs enough develop.
ment and new construction work tc
go far toward obliterating the un.
employment situation. if the indus.
try's hands were united But instead
of being encouraged, or even permit.
ted to go ahead and speed up, the in.
dustry is hampered by quibbling ov.
er rates and otherwise, so that en-.
listment of required capital is hin.
dered and time, attention and ener.
gy are diverted from what should BE-
the main task
Zone of our greatest troubles is
the shiftless habit we have faller
into, whenever a problem arises, Of
hoving some laws passed which We
seem to believe will Immediately
remedy things, without any exer,
ton upon our part
"a gas company has no contro
over the prices it must pay for coal
oil, labor or the many other commo
dities that enter into the manufac
ture of its product. 1t is monopoi
istic as to its service, only in that i
is the only agency furnishing gas.
But it must constantly compete witt
other industries for the things i
buys, and in selling its product i
completes with coal, coke, wood, ker
osene, gasoline, electricity and al
other mediums of heating and light
ing. The price of gas cannot be leg
islated. The price is based on tn,
economic situation.
"lf as much energy were eXertel
with the hands as is being spen
through the mouth, we would be get
ting ahead much faster.
IF as much legislation were knoc
| ked off the statute books as is being
placed thereon, much of it in mis-
guided honesty but disastrous to re
medying conditions, everyone woulC
be happier and things would improv,
more rapidly
Repeal of some of the laws W.
enacted during war time would DE-
much to unite the knots with which
we have bound ourselves And aft
er untying those knots, if our legis
latures and our congress would ad
journ for good long restful perioc
and let their members join the ordi
nary citizens in a program of 'wor!
not talk the nations affairs wOulc
progress more rapidly.
There is nothing hopeless about
the country's present situation. Tt
the contrary on the horizon can be
seen great prosperity and an ero Of
great building. Today We stand the
strongest nation in every way in the
whole world, but completion of the
| job will be fastened by working more