Evening star., 1925-09-02
THE VOICE OF BUSINESS
BY WILLIAM p. HELM. JR.

ministration of Government al Wash
from economical expenditure of publir
money and a sane attitude towar,
business.
"2. Business thrives on Confidenc.
and can take care of itself if free,
from unwise legislation, bureaucrati'
control and threats of dema EogueS ant
socialists. Confidence and optimism
can never exist when the government!
is incompetent, eXtravagant and un.
worthy of the Nation.
IS. BY maintaining sane men il
Federal and State government anC
discoura ging enactment of foolish
laws, and by much stricter enforce
ment of the criminal laws in ou'
cities"
Jacob Pfeiffer. president of the
Miller Rubber Co, Akron, Ohio be-
Heves that the paramount need of the
day in industry is reduction of un-
necessary public spendings and IT,
taxation all along the line-Federal
State, county, city, town and vii
lage."
Protect Home Market.
And here comes the newest infant
among our great industries, the radio
DISS1OenI
and general manager of the Radio
Corporation of America: American +
business can be served best. first. by
protecting its home market The
United States is not only the prize
market of the world, but the one that
is primarily served by American busi-
ness Ours is tha highest standard
OF civilization known; that standard
Is maintained in large measure by the
genius and efficiency of America n
business. The wages paid by 1t build
American. not foreign, homes, and
satisfy American, not foreign, re-
quirements.
TT can safely be predicted that IL
our people fail to keep the American
market largely for themselves. our
standard of civilization will collapse
along with American business.
before the World War. Mr.. Sarnoff
continues, Americans had IAN in
feriority complex" which caused
them TO admit that other nations had
better statesmen, better manufac-
turers, better stores. better writers
and what not. The World War
proved this complex to be unsound
but, in spite of that demon.
stration, some Americans still seem
to think that foreign products are
superior to ours. simply because they
are foreign. This, he saws, is lust
as unsound as the inferiority com.
pleX, adding: Made in America
should mean what Made in Ger
many once meant The time to be
gin this campaign is now; the place
our own country
Urges Lower Prices.
Perhaps the most startling sugces.
turer comes from a multi-mfllionajre
iron and steel producer, who was per.
Suaded TO speak his mind only on
condition that his name be withheld.
Why he imposed this restriction can
be readily seen from his statement.
which follows:
Il am OF the opinion that what is
needed to encourage prosperous busi-
ness in this country is lower prices
| do not mean lower prices for ia IN,
products, because | believe they are
on lower basis than the things the
farmer is obliged to buy, but think
we need lower cost of transportation.
lower cost of mining fuel lin union
minesl and lower costs in the build
ing industry
This means lower wages on the
railroads, in the union coal mines. in
| the building trades and in some
others which are out of line What
we need is g. general leveling up of
wages in order that some of the costs
which are abnormally high can be
reduced and which will make it pos
| sible to reduce the selling values of
certain products which are necessary
before we have prosperous business
in this country.
1T is rather a dangerous business
on the part of any one TO advocate
lower wages. / think, however, that
If we were all now on a basis of 80
per cent above 1913 and 1914 we
would be about on the right level.
Many scales, however, are 100 per
cent and some are as high as $50
per cent above this basis.
While / dread the grief that every
one will go through in trying to
make these readjustments, I believe
that conditions are going to force n
readjustment before we will have
permanently prosperous condition"
1t would take a bold business man
to stand for such a statement as
that toady. Bold to foolhardiness,
and the note our ,ironmaster sounds
is a solo in the symposium. struck
but once.
tcopyrirht ieaR.s