The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-16
TRADE ASSOCIATION ACTIVITIES GIVEN PRAISE BY HOOVER
Declared Useful In Preparing Statistics And In Dealing
 With Legislatures

WASHINGTON, July 15.-Trade as- sociations' activities as a whole have served constructive purposes in the commercial history of the United States, Secretary Hoover declares ir a statement attached as preface to
 a volume of information on the sub feet just issued by the commerce de- partment In the preparation and circulation of statistics of production and consumption, in the direct deal
 ing with Congress and Legislative bodies and in contact with labor problems, he asserted the associations with some exceptions have been of general service. -+
 There is no question:" Mir. Hoover said, but that the curves in the business cycle from activity to de- those industries or trades where ac- curate, lawful statistical data have been available to all.
 Fundamentally, 1t is impossible for business men to form those vita! Judgments as to their future course of action in the wise and safe direc tion as to their activities unless they are informed as to the changing cur rents of production and consumption, not only in their own lines, but also in other lines of business which i'm
 dicate broader currents of economic life.
 Need Statistical service.
 The only criteria are statistics, and if industry is to march with req sonable profits instead of undergoing fits of famine and feast, if employ ment Is to be held constant and not subjected to vast waves of hardship, there must be adequate statistical service. Whether these services are to be maintained by the government or by trade associations, they must be maintained if we are to have an orderly economic life"
 Discussing legislative activities, MT. Hoover asserts that the interest of sound in the ultimate analysis must be the public interest, and in their legislative activities many trade as- sociations have borne this axiom foremost.
 The demand of legislatures for the views of the different trades upon all sorts of questions of public in terest," he adds. "is incessant, and open preparation and presentation of such matters Is far more consonant with proper development of public life than the private lobbying of the few or powerful.
 Waste elimination in vast alea of problems Jan only be accomplished by collective action in trade. Hun dreds of millions of dollars have been saved through the aQOptlOn or pr1n- ciples laid down in such programs, not alone to the business groups con cerned. but to the ultimate consumer They have brought about lower prices through attacking directly the costs of raw material, inefficient plant operation and unnecessary stock maintenance"
 O o O
 Work In Lowering Costs.
 With reference to cost accounting activities. Secretary Hoover points to the truly remarkable findings of government agencies in the war years regarding the knowledge and understanding of costs in production and distribution. Losses often were confused with profits, those investi- gations showed, all for the lack of knowledge of the fundamentals of cost accounting" he continues.
 To-day the trade association is proving itself the most potent or ganized influence in the history of costs in industry and trade, main- taining lower systems applicable to peculiar conditions, all of which tend to more scientific knowledge of busi- ness and ultimately lowered costs"
 On the subject of employees rela- tions, the secretary indicates that while at earlier periods the individ- ual business concern GOT manager, perhaps, has taken more frequently the initiative in forward policies of such relations, trade association after trade association is now devel- optng the necessary preliminary stages of more equitable and ad- Vanced phases of this subject