Evening star., 1923-05-13
BORAH STUDIES US.
INDUSTRIAL STATUS

Believing that one Of the greatest
problems confronting the country today
perhaps the greatest-is the relation
which the government shall bear to in
dustry, Senator Borah Of Idaho. chair
man of the Senate committee on educa-
tion and labor. is giving much of his
time during the recess of Congress to
study Of this question.
In the opinion of Senator Borah, the
government has failed to keep pace
with the vast Industrial development of
the country. The government is in in
innate contact with industry at nearly
every point today, yet the government
has not been developed SO as to keep
pace with the Industrial growth
industrial problems-in relation to the
goVernment-will be considered at the
next Congress-must be considered
Senator Borah believes. Some con-
structive policy must be developed and
written into legislation.
Where to draw the line Of demarca-
tion between the citizen and his private
INITIATIVE In business and the govern
ment acting In the public interest is at
the very base Of the problem involved,
according to the Idaho senator Senator
Borah. 1t Is no secret, does not believe
IN public ownership of the railroads, of
tne mines, etc, If 1t can be avoided.
Yet he regards this as an alternative
which must be faced if no solution OF
the Industrial problem offered To turn
10 government ownership of Industries
would mean to strike a blow at the
INITIATIVE OF the citizen. And the initia
tive Of the private citizen must he re-
tanned II civilization is to progress as it
should, Senator Borah believes.
For Industrial Conference.
Sloe by side with the effort to
solVe the industrial problems in this
country marches the need of an in
Iernatlonal economic COM renee, and
Senator Borah is prepared. il is
learned, to propose again that the
united states government take the
lead In calling such conference. I'm
less there is great change in condi-
tons, 1t is his plan to offer again the
resolution for such a conference-a
resolution somewhat similar to that
which he introduced at the last ses-
sion of Congress
AS coal, foodstuffs. clothing and
transportation have become more and
more the subject of big business
combinations, the principle Of public
interest as applied to these neces-
saries has been more and more dis
cussed. and the right of the govern
ment TO regulate and to see that the
citizens have these necessaries ad-
vanced.
Senator Borah took a prominent
part in the Legislation enacted by
the last Congress looking to d pre-
Vention of future nationwide coal
strikes with their consequent suffer-
ing forced upon the people. through
industry: He is hopeful that the
United States Coal Commission, now
at work, will make IA valuable con-
trIbution to the knowledge of the coal
situation when it files its report, and
that recommendations made by the
commission will be beneficial.
He does not believe that it Is the
part of the government to stand aside
States made the victims of profiteers,
or. If they cannot pay the price for
fuel, frozen to death.
Necessities Varied.
Fuel is not the only necessity Of
the people by any means which enters
into the problem of industrial rela-
line, sugar, which has been soaring
in price recently, are among the
others.
Government regulation, he con-
siders, has not proved so far a great
success. But he is inclined to at
tribute this to failure in administra-
ton. And the failure of administra-
tIon has been due to too much politics
in government. This criticism is not
aimed at the present administration
any more than at earlier admins
trations. But If public officials We're
chosen as are the officials of the
United States Corporation or the
Pennsylvania railroad, for example
for their ability to perform the duties
intrusted to them and their knowl-
edge of the line of fwork-government t
regulation might be a vastly differ
ent thing. Too often officials are
chosen for this or that political rea-
SON instead of for their qualifications
to handle the job selected.
There are laws on the statute
books which. if more strongly en-
forced. would result in much benefit
in solving the industrial problems.
in the belief of Senator Borah, among
them antitrust laws. But just what
new legislation should be enacted
the chairman of the senate committee
is not prepared to say at this time
But by the time the next Congress
meets in December it is expected he
will have legislative program
mapped out.