, 1923-05-24
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

A recent editorial in the Dear
born Independent urging the i'm
portance OF having business men re-
Their than lawyers In control Of tn,
Administrative departments of the
government, serves to emphasize on,
4.be strong features OF the Hartlns
a1I1nistration. As Henry Fort
.Sssys, lawyers are often pool
business managers. They are ex
perts In handling legal problems and
where legal problems r chiefly to
be met they ought to be entrusted
with the management. Lawyers are
not always poor business managers,
for there have been some notable ex-
%ceptions.
The Harding Administration is a
business Administration. Harding
himself was trained in the school
of practical experience in the bust
ness world. He worked first on a
farm and learned nearly all phases
of agricultural industry. While he
was yet but a boy he began BUSH
ness for himself by taking contracts
at painting. He began his life bust
ness while still a youth by the pur-
chase Of a few pounds Of type and an
old printing press and built up a de-
cadent newspaper into a prosperous
publishing business. He made a
great success OF editing and publish
ing a newspaper without catering to
sen~sationalism on the one hand or
to INSTRUMENTATION on the other.
He made a paying enterprise out Of
a paper that Is fit to be read by every
member Of every family. Along with
that he aided in the development
Of many industrial enterprises.
Turning to a consideration of
members of Harding's Cabinet we
find in the Department OF State a
former Justice of the Supreme Court
"A lawyer in a position where know
ledge Of international law is highly
important. In the Treasury Depart
mont. which has supervision of fin
ances, we find a banker who has had
large practical experience in indust-
rial enterprises. In the Department
OF Wal we find a business man who
was trained in the Naval Academy,
VIII served in the Spanish-American
War. and who was also distinguished
by service in both the House and
Senate. In the Department OF Just
ice. which deals entirely with legal
problems. we find a lawyer. of
course. In the Postoffice Depart
ment we find a publisher who earn
cd his way to success by beginning
at the bottom as a reporter and
working his way up to the editor
fAl chair and part owner of one of
the well-known newspapers of the
country. At the head of the Navy
Department we find a man who be-
= his active career in the Customs
service but distinguished himself
chiefly by his service in the navy
during the raj with Spain and dur
ing the war In Europe. Although a
member of the bar. and a success
full n he was peculiarly fitted for
his position at the head Of the navy.
At the head OF the Department of the
Interior we find a physician who not
only attained eminent success in the
practice OF his profession but estab-
lished and conducted the business
affairs of a large hospital. partici-
pated in the administration of the
business of the State Boards. and
had charge OF administration Of me-
dical features of the draft law. Long
residence in a public land and min
ing State peculiarly qualities him for
problems relating to his Department.
The Secretary OF Agriculture Is not
. lawyer but q practical farmer and
publisher Of an Agricultural paper.
The Secretary OF Commerce 70 not
n lawyer but = practical and sue
cessful business man long engaged
in mining. railway construction, and
the highly difficult work Of super
vising American Relief in Europe.
Tho Secretary Of Labor began life
~ a puddler in iron and steel works
and later reorganixed and placed on
. substantial basis the business Of q
fnternal~ insurance order which wa
on the verge Of failure when he took
charge.
The present Administration has
not gone to the extreme that some
administrations might, of shutting
out lawyers entirely. 1t utilized the
skill Of lawyers wherever needful
and has called to public service men
Of successful experience in private
life qualifying them for administra-
ton q public affairs.