White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-12-11

/ SSAASSSSAAS oAAS
government into the field of business
activity is taking form. After watch
ing bureaucracy extend itself amaz-
ingly during the postwar years in
federal, state, county and city gov
ernments to the detriment of private
initiative, leaders engaged in all types
of business pursuits are now plan
ming to offer stubborn resistance.
The first marker of the new move
ment is found in the arrangement
of details for mass meeting of in
dustrial leaders to be held at Wash
ington, December 10. The official
call for this meeting is now in the
hands of executives Of three hundred
trade associations and other industrial
organizations.
The official call carries the names
of the following members of the plan
ming committee: Homer L. Ferguson,
Newport News, Va, former president
of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States and president, Newport
News Ship Building Company; F.
Highlands Burns, Baltimore, presi-
dent, Maryland Casualty Company
and president, International Associa-
ito nof Casualty and Surety Under
writer's; ]. 3. Edgerton, Nashville,
president of the National Association
of Manufacturers and president, Lee
banon Woolen Mills, and General R.
G. Marshall Jr., general manager, AS
ISOLATED General Contractors of Amer
lea, who is chairman of the com
mittee.
A preliminary meeting has already
been held in Washington, with repre-
sentatives of twenty-five leading trade
associations present The result of
this meeting was appointment of the
planning committee to issue the call
for the December meeting and to sug
gest program of action for the cam
paign.
The meeting, leaders of the move
ment now in Washington declare, will
not be directed against governmental
regulation of industry, but it's full
force will be thrown into opposition
of the practice under which tax-pay-
ing business firms are forced to fl
nance the government as an active
competitor.
Preliminary study of the situation
has definitely linked penetration Of
the government into business with de-
sires by those in public office to per-
petuate their tenure, magnify their
functions or enlarge the field for po-
litical control and "spoils". These
i desires have been advanced in man
ner so subtle as to cause Congress
and the appropriating bodies of
smaller units of government unwit-
tingly to uphold the general practice.
The December meeting will be held
in Washington two days after Con-
gress convenes. Those who are an
ticipating the meetings. possibilities
see a chance for the trend of condi-
tions to be appreciated by the legis-
lators. Most assuredly, say these
observers, when once Congress comes
to realization of the manner in
which the public funds are being ex-
pended in wasteful business activi-
ties, change of affairs will be forth
coming.
The certainty Of mind in this con-
nection is bolstered by the fact that
the platforms of both major political
eminent should be kept out of bust
ness. Stress is being laid upon the
fact that the nation has developed
under the individualistic theory of
government, and not under the 80.
cialistic To quote from recent de.
cision by the Supreme Court of South
Dakota, 1.-THE constitution and laws
of the United States and of the vari-
GUS states have been framed under a
policy having primary regard for in
dividual rights"
The number of individual industries