Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-02

A 12-point program to restore pros
perity to individual business concerns
as the first step toward general recov-
cry is presented in an article in the
current number of Nations Business,
under the heading The Way Back"
Unlike other plans that have been
proposed, Nations Business program
calls upon the individual business man
to solve his own problems without re-
course to governmental assistance. 1t
suggests that "if the business man will
cease looking for relief on the outside
and concentrate on the inside of his
own operations. business will pick up.
ANY business. sound in its basis,
profitable in normal times, enjoying any
advantage over competitors, soundly
financed, with integrity on the part of
the board of directors" the article says,
"can be brought back to its normal
earning in spite of the general depres-
sion-the progress to begin Immediately
and the normal apparent within years
time.
Problem Held Individual.
"Given 10 such businesses today and
a hundred n2Xt month and thousand
the following MONTH each within itself
solving its own peculiar problems-and
general prosperity will be the inevitable
result of unit success"
1t is pointed out in the article that
individual business institutions are not
going to be restored to prosperity by
way of the recovery of business as a
whole. Business as a whole can be re-
stored only by way of the recovery of
individual institutions.
IF the silver problem. the gold prob
lem. the agricultural problem, the pro-
hibition problem, the commodity price
he fhA
ployment problem and a dozen other
corollary disturbants could be settled
overnight, then business as a whole
would recover and the individual bust
ness institution would swing back into
prosperity.
1T is perfectly obvious, however, not
only that this wholesale restoration is
impossible utterly, but that no several
el:ments in the program would be pow
erful enough to lift the entire structure.
So the whole gigantic problem becomes
a question of individual initiative and
energy. resting upon the resourecfulness
and courage of some one man or group
of men at the head of each enterprise
Loosely speaking, there is still a
mark.t-to be fought for and dug up
for nearly all American businesses
which have had huge volume presented
to them as a gift heretofore.
lnaC is an encouraging TACT even
thought it implies completely changed
outlook and long period of desper-
ately hard work."
Hidden Enemies.
One of the points in Nations Business
program refers to the hidden enemies
in almost every business. THE biggest
job for the moment" the article says,
lis to identify thsm, attack them and
drive them out.
Some of these enemies are belated adj
herences to tradition, slavish acceptance
of trade custom, parrot-like application
OF the methods of competition, subject
ing sales to the manufacturing or even
engineering point of view, trying to cover
all of the map instead of intensely cul-
tivating the most productive part, I'M
wieldy director management,
failure to seek and find new markets,
dull dissatisfaction with the albright
ness of the product, too many pep talks
and not enough footwork, initiative or
conventional advertising, lack of cour-
age in treating advertising as capital
investment, and so on to the end of a
long chapter"
The article derives double interest
from the fact that it is a presentation
by a noted merchandising expert, Nor
val A. Hawkins, of thesis developed by
an equally noted advertising authority,
Theodore T. McMannus of Detroit.
The 12-point program as outlined by
Mr.. Hawkins is as follows:
!. I would perfect the technique OF