Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-29
PLEAFOR GREAT
U.S.LEADERSHIP
HEARD BY CLUBS
Michigan Banker Makes Splendid
And Effective Address AT
Joint Luncheon

by commissions, such as the Federal
Trade Commission, the Interstate
Commerce Commission and other
things, which throttle industrial de-
velopent and penalize success, he
said, mas delivered last night at the
Tea Room before a joint meeting OF
the Rotary, Kiwanis and Lions clubs,
by w. ]. Smith, banker of Battle
Creek, Mich, who was present as
guest of Frank Lanier, president OF
the Rotary club.
The occasion was arranged by the
Lions club, who had asked the men,
bers of the other older organizations
in as their guests on the first Of a
series of joint meetings since the re-
cent vote to confederate. 1t was
delightful meeting, with the best OF
good fellowship, good things to eat,
and good speaking and entertain
ment.
Mr.. Smith was eloquent and bril-
liant and spoke with great emphasis,
yet with great nicely. His talk was
an appeal for less meddling by gov
ernment with business so that busi-
ness might have an opportunity to
develop as the welfare of the coun-
try demands He said the nation
needs now as never before great
leadership-not the leadership of the
brilliantly educated theorist, but OF
the practically trained man, the man
Of actual experience through rub
ling up against men and events, the
man who has done things and knows
through having done them,
"1his is not the time for anaemic
pessimist nor the overtrained optim-
ist," he declared, "but the time when
we need the leadership of the sane
thinking man." He pointed to few
of the men he characterized as the
truly great men of today, men of
affairs, naming Otto H. Kahn, Chas
NJ. Schwab, Chas. G. Dawes and
Judge Gary, men of high minds, low
ers of art, music and sciences, but
withal great men of affairs.
Congress Going Back.
Mr.. Smith deprecated the decad
cnce of ability in congress since the
coming of the primary system of Sc
lection of men for public office, de-
claring this system had opened the
gates to the demogogue and eliminat-
ed the masterful men who once had
the opportunity of leadership through
the convention system. he assailed
the Federal Trade Commission and
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion as examples of the harmful ef-
fects of government by commissions,
tendency which he declared menac-
ing to the welfare of the country
because of its throttling industrial
development. Of the Federal Trade
Commission he declared he was ac-
quainted with the ability of every
member of il and made the state
ment that not one of them possessed
the ability to run an industry in
Georgia employing 500 persons with
out causing panic among the stock |
holders. And yet" he said, "we
have men of this caliber constituting
board telling great business insti-
tutions how they must run their busi- |
ness"
He pointed out that the railroads
of the country fifteen years ago were
prosperous, with rates third cheap
er than today. He contrasted the
present, following period of gov
pPnT1nnt L
various government boards still ex-
istlng. "The reason for the present |
condition of the railroads." he said, |
''is that no government can run
private enterprise" He state that |
the reason why the government can
not run private enterprise is that |
1t costs 35 to 40 per cent more to |
carry on the same amount of gov |
ernment business than it does an in |
stitution like the u. S. Steel corpora |
ton, because of the politics involved, !
the hangers on and the lack of IN |
centlve to service. He called atten-
tion to the fact that railroad rates
are limited by one body and wages
and expenses fixed by another and |
then remarked, "No wonder you took |
up 1900 miles of railroads in Geor-
gia last year.
Calls for Action.
Mr.. Smith called for participation |
in government by the business men,
by the whole citizenship, instead of |
leaving politics to the hands of the |
demapOpIlpS He declared II o,vor,, |
mans first duty and the duty of |
the civic clubs, such as the three lis |
tening to him, and expressed hope for
better things in this country and in |
our government through the close as
sociation of men through the devel- |
opment of the civic club movement.
Melvin Jones, secretary general of !
the Lions Club international, with |
headquarters in Chicago, was a guest |