Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-01
TRUST ADVISORY ii
! GROUP HELD NEED
U. S. Chamber of Commerce
Told of Desire for Body to
I Foresee Legal Status.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.

meeting of the United States Chamber
of Commerce here yesterday. The law,
as it now exists. was both criticized and
defended, but no one suggested that 1t
be abolished.
Rush G. Butler, chairman OF the
Commerce Committee of the American
Bar Association, made much OF the
vagueness of the law, as did others.
Fear that any cooperative action in the
way of regulating production and prices
might expose them to criminal action
under the Sherman law, even though
they acted in good faith, deferred busi-
ness men from sound and desirable
common action, he said. He pointed
out that the Department OF Justice ana
the Federal Trade Commission were
prosecuting bodies and were unable to
give business men previous advice on
the legality of their action. A Govern
ment body to advise industrialistS is an
urgent need today.
This view was closely seconded by
Goldthwaite S. Dorr, New York attor-
ney who recommended the passage by
Congress of declaratory definitions.
these would help them to judge whether
their plans were likely to be regarded
as illegal or not by the Government.
The spirit of the antitrust law Is
right, but it must be adjusted to meet
modern conditions, thinks William s.
Bennett of Chicago, vice president Of
the Edward Hines Lumber Co. This Is
especially important in the conservation
of natural resources, where waste can
only be prevented by combined action.
G.. Carroll Todd, former assistant to
the attorney general, explained the
choice lay between unregulated compe-
tition and a controlled system. While
other speakers attacked the indefinite
ness of the antitrust law. he reminded
them that all laws have fringe OF
doubt. The only way to clarity this was
through the slow process Of judicial de-
cisicns. The present situation in this
field is not as bad as has been painted,
was Mr.. Todd's conclusion.
How the Northwest is solving its farm
problems was described by F. e.
Murphy publisher of the Minneapolis
Tribune Throwing aside the old policy
Of the single crop-wheat-the farmers
in this part of the country have adopt
ed additional farm products, especially
live stock.
Good farming with god live stock"
has become their slogan and 1t has
carried them through the present crisis
comparatively well. Since the prices OF
raw farm products, such as wheat and
cotton fiuctuate, sometimes violently.
they have selected other types OF
products.
These may be called finished prod
ucts, such as eggs, poultry, milk, beef,
etc. These not only bring better, but
almost always, stable prices. Instead
of being Frustrated by the glut OF grain,
the farmers of the Northwest. thanks to
their live stock program, are profting
by it:
Of business and agriculture today" as
serts Mr.. Murphy.
M. B. Folsom, Eastman Kodak Of
fetal, told how the problem Of en-
ployment sterilization had been met
in Rochester N Y. The Rochester
Civic Unemployment Committee, after
ascertaining the main causes Of un-
employment, drew up set Of possible
remedies as follows: Sales forecasts,
production scheduling, manufacturing
for stock, diversification of products,
Standardization of products, intensive
sales contacts with buyers, propaganda
against seasonal buying by the public.
Also diversified workers training, over
time work for temporary increase in
volume, shorter hours for decreased
volume and sometimes price conces-
sions for on-season orders.
L. C. Reynolds of the American
Writing Paper Co. felt that better
budgeting on the part of business and
industrial concerns would go far
toward suppressing this modern eco
nomic evil. He also advocated national
control and reserves set aside for de-
preston insurance.
A system of guaranteed employ
ment" was briefly explained by r. r.
Deupree, president Of Proctor g. Gam
BILE Co. BY this system sales for the
year are estimated: then the produc-
ton year Is divided into 40 weeks.
The concern then operates on a uni
form production all year round. Since
neither sales nor shipments are uni
form. any excess is stored in the ware
house and drawn upon when demand
increases. This would seem to be an
excellent plan for commodities always
in substantial demand, although it calls
for expert analysis Of business trends
TO gauge the years production closely.
Mr.. Deupree suggested that business
men can DO much without any neip
from the Government.
"If a plan could be worked out, even
though it is not 100 per cent Of your
shop wherein you can guarantee steady
employment, you will probably find that
management is benefited, at least as
much, II not more than employees.
While 1t may be necessary for Congress
TO change some of its laws (and think
it Isl, so that industry as whole can
regulate production itself, and avoid its
terrific peaks and valleys. don't think
We have to wait for that" said Mr..
Deupree.
Production greater than ever. invest
&c nj he THaak az tho
minimum, and no way 10 let loose"
In these dramatic words, A. c. Dixon,
president CT the National Lumber Man
ufacturers Association. summed up the
present condition of the lumber indus
try. This Western lumberman wants
the entire Nation to know that there's
plenty Of lumber left In the country:
that the worry over the depletion Of
lumber started over 200 years ago, and
still continues. Yet there's more lum-
Der in sight than ever before.
He, too, advocates balanced produc-
ton 90 meet demand. II would like to
have the industry given the legal right
to try for better production control on
o worthwhile scale" But how?
~ modification Of the Sherman anti
truse law 80 protect ourselves and i'm
prove the present destructive COMPETE
tive conditions" is an absolute neces-
sity, he warns.
Proposals for sales taxes, or a gen.
eral sales tax, were vigorously assailed
by B. Earl Puckett, president OF Fred
erick Loeser g. Co. of Brooklyn, N. Y
The false argument back of the sales
tax theory is that since all taxes are
passed along to the consumer, consum-
erS pay all taxes. Thus we might just
as well lump all taxes into genera
sales tax and be done with i'll
This is a flimsy piece of reasoning
Such a step would remove the tax levied
on such items as land and natural re.