Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-24
Hazard Addresses !
National Boot and
Shoe Manufacturers

The following is an extract taken
from the address of Rabert Z. Haz-
card of this city, delivered before
the National Boot and Shoe Manu-
facturers' Association in New York
City:
las usual have no formal address
to make. l will say as a background
that in the two years since was last
with you, I have spent 10 months Of
it outside of the United States.
| From the Yukon river in Alaska to
the Assuan Dam in Egypt. / went
through most of Europe several
times.
During those travels I reached
some very definite conclusions as re-
CARDS political conditions, as regards
social conditions, and as regards in
| dustfy. These conclusions or .opin-
| ions are, of course, entirely personal.
Probably a great many Of you here
won't agree with them, but they are
| the result of what l saw in those 10
! months.
las regards industry:
''First, Production-And I reached
! the conclusion that prosperity de-
! ponds primarily on production eff
| GENTLY distributed.
Second, Labor-The theory that
labor produces all wealth is a fallacy.
| Labor itself withou. the aid of capital
| and management can hardly produce
a bare existence.
| Third, immigration - That we
| should have stringent immigration
laws that will keep out those whose
; fundamentals. psychology and morals
are not in harmony with our civiliZa-
| ton.
Fourth, Busincss-That business
| cannot permanently get back to nor
NAL in this country until the rest Of
the world succeeds in getting their
| house in order.
Il reached the conclusion in re-
gard to production. because the
farther went. the more | found that
| the less production, the greater pow
erty. 1t was not primarily a question
of wages. Wages will in the final
| analysis adjust themselves. The old
! duce' is absolutely true. When you
| do not get production you do not get
! prosperity.
f! II found that the distribution in
Europe is very crude. l happened to
! go with my wife into the Bon
| Marche, one Of the biggest depart
ment stores of Paris, My wife want
ed a little ball of darning cotton,
! which is worth few cents. 1t so
happened that the counter was up
near the front of the store on the
| first floor. We bought the ball Of
! cotton of full grown man who was
acting as a CLERK. He walked the
| length of that large department. store,
up two flights of stairs and came to
their office, and there were three
| bookkeepers. who made a record Of
| that sale; the ball Of yarn was
handed back. the change was made,
and that man walked back to the
| front of the store to sell the next ball
Of yarn That is inefficient distribu-
| ton.
! IL believe that management is a
! gift, exactly the sarne' AS the ability
! to sing. A God-given gift. Some
men have gifts for management and
others do not and if you are going
to get anywhere, YOU have got tc
develop the men who do have that
| gift for management; and when the
day comes that you do not develop
them and YOU discourage them, Their
comes the bad time for labor.
THE third point is immigrants
The immigration laws that we want
fror, the northern part of Europe
we are not SetliHS, anu lHoSc VIZ
would like to keep out, from the
Mediterranean, we are getting oul
full quota of.
"There is a talk among industrialist!
that they are being handicapped OF
account of lack of cheap labor.
! Il agree absolutely, that the rea
thing is the big consumer. The
reason that this country is the
greatest country in the world to dc
business in is because of the buying
power that we have, for consump'
ton.
IN going through Europe l reach
ed the conclusion that would't trade
New York City for the entire Eur
ope for retail market. because the
people are much bigger buyers. ane
their ability to consume is so mucf
greater in New York. that it makes
it the best market that there is In
the world.
"If you leave industry alone, the!