Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-12
Continued From First Page.l

! program means reduced living stand
| ards and permanent unemployment. In
| the end these remedies will induce
longer and more frequent periods OF
| depression"
The Progressive conference was to
hold a session this afternoon on water
power and public utilities, with an
opening statement by Senator Norris o.
Nebraska, the presiding officer OF the
\ conference. Tonight at o'clock re-
ports of committees appointed to outline
| legislative work during the Summer and
Fall will be made to the conference
and the conference is expected to ad-
| journ finally at the conclusion OF that
session.
Nobody in the Saddle.
Mr.. Soule told the conference that
during the 10 years after the World
War 1.-The people were instructed that
they ought to depend on industrial and
financial, rather than on political
leadership. In 1929, industrial and A.
nancial leadership brought them to dis
, aster. In 1880, they turned to politics
/ for help. but political government sent
them back to the very industrial and
financial forces which had been tried
and found wanting.
THE main trouble" said Mr.. Soule,
"is not that business is in the saddle.
line GIOuDLe Is IIldb LODOuy 10 III IAAC
saddle. The abrogation Of political gov
eminent might not be so serious If
there were an industrial government in
whose favor it could abrogate, but there
is none. Business is, by and large, still
characterized by the anarchy of COM
petitive individuals, by planleSsness, by
speculation and bunch, rather than oy
cooperation in program. We literally
have no national economy policy and
no agency capable of framing one.
For this difficulty there is no legis-
lative panacea No single reform, how
ever essential or desirable 1t may be,
will bring order into the immense con-
fusion which exists-during So-called
prosperity as we'll as during depres-
Sion-jn our economic life. But Con-
Rress may do its share in creating order,
/ II industry will do its share. 1t may
call into being agencies which can
make a beginning at working out a
national economic policy, at planning
production, distribution and exchange
in a rational manner to serve the gen.
eral good. It can create an economic
general staff. 1t can call into session
national industrial council, with dele
gates from the several occupations
and ndustrieS-manageme and labor.
1t can say to the forces of industry:
You deny that political government is
competent in economic matters; very
well, here Is q chance to govern your
selves. You must either govern or let
us govern"
Mr.. Soule said that as long as in
dustry fails to formulate and apply
national economic policy, Congress must
do everything in its power to relieve
distress caused by economic chaos. He
said that Congress could use the taxing
power and the borrowing power to al
leviate suffering. He recommended do
ing away with "one-sided protective
tariff" the encouragement Of State in
Surance against unemployment, and the
institution of an orderly market by
national system of public employment
exchanges.
Information Defective.
In conclusion, he said: eff industry
cannot or will not set its own house in
order It must be prepared to have the
sufferers from the ruin it creates en-
ploy representative government to check
its more destructive practices and make
up for its worst effects"
In advocating the establishment OF
public agency, or an economic council,
to study the economic problems of the
country and make recommendations,
Mr.. Wolman said: "If it did nothing
else, such public agency would, at any
rate at first, supply the deficiencies in
our knowledge Of important factors in
the total business situation" He said
that the information in past years has
been grossly defective. He added;
while there are many steps that
business and industry could take, under
its own leadership, in the long run the
goal of greatest abilities cannot be
achieved by private business combina-
tons alone Public interest In fair
prices, the quality Of goods and services,
the standards of working conditions and
the protection of financial resources Of
the country require that these develop
ments Of control and planning take
place under strict public scrutiny and
supervision"
Mr.. Wolman said that much may be
done Through proper control OF public
works. He also advocated unemploy-
ment insurance, declaring it entirely
practicable for industry to lay aside
reserve to be used in the form of unem-
ployment benefits during periods of in
dustrial crisis. He called attention to
the fact that IA firms In the city, Of
Rochester, headed by the Eastman Ko-
dak Co. had recently adopted unem-
ployment insurance, He said that the
establishment OF these various funds,
however, must be made compulsory by
legislation in order to meet the needs
OF the entire country.
Green Against Russia.
William Green. president Of the
American Federation Of Labor, outlined
program for the improvement of labor
conditions in this country, including q
f1ve-day work week.
At the conclusion of his address ne
declared emphatically against the recog-
milton Of the Russian Soviet government.
There we're cheers and boos.
Frank Murphy, Mayor of Detroit,
told the conference that 1t was up to
the Federal Government to bear part
OF the burden Of meeting the unemploy-
ment situation In the country today
Mayor Murphy recommended the es-
Enlistment OF permanent employment
bureauAby the Federal Government and
also the establishment Of an unemploy-
ment reserve fund by the Government.
BIames Lack of Planning.
Sidney Hillman, president of the
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of
America, told the conference that a
lack of planning in industry was
responsible for the present difficulties
of the army Of unemployed. He pointed
out that the present depression is the
longest which American industry has
experienced since the 9Os.
Stuart Chase. addressing the confer
6nce, said the times call for the boldest
economic thinking that this republic
has ever done" He proposed an
economic general staff to prepare plans
for future economic development;
drastic strengthening of the power of
| the Federal Reserve Board, with no
votes by speculative bankers; the
amendment of the Sherman antitrust
law TO permit industrial coordination,
under suitable public regulation: a
drastic revision Of the tariff downward,
and unemployment insurance as the
only decent substitute for present bread
lines and doles."
Father John A. Ryan of washington