The Washington times., 1931-10-10
A Fine Gesture

Into this gloom bright ray perces. 1t is matter
of business ethics but it handsome that it cheers
the heart like the wine which inspired it. The makers
of wine who dispose of the Cotes de Beaune and Mutt ST.
Georges having tested this years product dis
satisfied with it, says the report that they have pet
toned the ministry of agriculture to allow them to omit
the of Burgundy entirely from the wines. This
MEANS simply, that the wine will be sold cheaper
wine; it may descend to the level of the waited wines
of Herault and Aude, never known by name, but
sumed in quantities ordinary table wines in French
restaurants The Burgundy of 1881 will not bring Bur-
gundy prices but if the stern vncuursts of Burgundy
have their way, it will not compromise the standards
of great masterpiece of nature.
Faking About Clothes
Wines and clothes are fancy, the two products of
France with which Americans have been most familiar,
and the French attitude toward them is an epome of
the French character foreigners to know it.
The manufacturers of clothes still speak of themselves
as artists because that is part of good production But
the French manner in selling clothes is brutay
mercial there is flourish of trumpets the outside,
and the tinkle of hard cash within. The clothes
mastery in design, but the experience of hundreds of
has been that frocks have to be sent back
and three times because they not perfectly fitted,
and that little failures in sewing necesstate repairs
soon as the clothes are brought home: am not max
ing blanket accusation; say merely that these inn
perfectlons have occurred.
Wine-Makers as Artists
Whereas in all the business of wine, imperfectons
do not at ALL Certain disasters all wine is heir
to, but they promptly taken into account at
the poorest restaurant where the withdrawal of a
bottle of wine and the offer of substitute may
III.
of earth, climate chemicals in the soil, methods of
manufacture; they slaves to their vineyards; the
spirit of the medieval guild survives in the industry,
assuring that wine is made only by those who have
passed through long apprenticeship and know every
honest trick of the trade. Wine; to the Frenchman is
something than commodity; it is product. It
has its money value which is Important but it has
also its human value which must not be corrupted and
compromised.
Some Of the lands from which the great wines come
such small that few thousand bottles repre-
sent great vintage; probably not grower in
France capable of priding himself the amount of
wine he produces; the question of quantity does not
enter, except perhaps in reverse, for wine sold by
the thousand barrels is almost always bad
nothing to be ashamed Of but nothing to take pride in
The dressmakers different; they tell you with
pride that many American shops have bought this
model that many hundred copies of another model
will be made. The wine-men the true artists
Pride in Product
This particular pride in product is not altogether
missing in America and it exists in fairly largescae
production In the muchmaligned city of Grand Rapids
(Which does not make cheap limitations and bad furn
ture met heads of factories who facing serious de-
preston, would not enter bids for furnishing thousand
hotel because the contractor for the hotel would
not allow them to keep to their standard of manufac
ture The steady improvement of certain electrical equip
ment following endless research is another example
the improved mechanisms are advertised, to be sure
and make money; yet there is motive of pride in
tinual refinement of the product.
Best Sellers
Yet for 20 the largest sale has stood for
thing noble and has affected professions which should
be peculiarly free from the taint recall the adver
tisements of book which was furious attack on high
pressure saesmanshp; the book was advertised as a
besseer without any praise from critics. with sug
gestion that it good book-only that it SELL
ing better than any other (Jus to balance things the
most vicious salesmanship of art have ever
tered was current in Paris about 10 years ago, when
half dozen artists treated if they stocks
in Wall Street. with quotations of prices bull markets
and the rest)
Old Incentives for New
In half of the plans for the future of America there
is talk of new attitude in industry; in almost all of it
there is resentment against the pressure of selling in the
past. The new attitude may be for the
worker, the worker being at last admitted equal to
plant equally worthy of being protected; and it may be
idea of distribution. Mr.. Swope's plan required.
control of selling prices Again and again the protest
arises that these things will destroy initiative 1t is the
assumption that if the American ndusrialist is for
hidden to make much money possible, in any pos
Ill ha IN a. nN