Evening star., 1932-05-17
LAFOLLETTE SEES
NEED OF DIAGNOSIS
Would Have People Face
Facts of Depression Be-
fore Seeking Cure.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

MADISON. Wis. May 17.-Gov.
Philip La Toilette sat on the edge Of
his chair and told me in detail today
Of the way Wisconsin had been hit by
the depression, OF the growing unem-
ployment, the relief measures. the
breaking morale and the dreaded dark
ness Of the morrow. When he had
finished, asked: What would you do
If you had national power, II you were
suddenly entrusted with the RESPONSE
bility of dealing nationally with the
present economic situation?"
Well" he reJlied, Il would begin
by trying to get people to look at the
facts. We must coalesce all the ele-
ments and groups that insist on look
ing at the patient differently. and en-
deavor to get an agreement on the
diagnosis. Too many people think you
can compromise on a diagnosis. You
must agree first on what's wrong.
Now others may have a different
idea of what should be done at a par
ticular time or in what order the rene
dies should be applied, and you have to
be willing to make concessions as to the
order of Importance; but that is not
difficult If you agree on the facts first
Whether it is shorter hours or inter
mediate credit for business or any one
OF number OF steps, you must keep
looking at the patient If you wish to
make progress.
Wants Orderly Change.
For every day this condition grows
worse. One thing is eSSential-What-
ever changes have to take place should
be made in an orderly rather than a
disorderly manner And the only way
is to do it as a society rather than as
individualists. Just as in a war one in
dustry cannot cope with 1t, we must do
things all together
First is the preservation Of morale.
Just as a majority is willing to accept
the benefits so must the majority be
ready to accept the obligations. Morale
breaks down when there is discrimina-
ton in favor OF one group, or more to
one than another We found that in
Wisconsin In the banking situation.
When we put everybody on an equal
footing we won the peoples confidence,
and no group received an tnordinate
benefit That was doing things in an
orderly way.
ITO my mind we must have a SEN
sible method of approach. If. in look
ing for problems you split into groups,
then a sense Of lacking leadership re-
suits in no program at all.
"One of the first things pressing for
attention is that which expects the
farmer, the home owner, the retail
merchant and the industrialist to pay
fixed obligations of 1929 with 1882 dol
lars. While I think the whole depres-
sion is related to an absence of pur-
chasing power, and this is often re-
garded as an effect instead Of cause
still think this is an effect which Is
precipitately far worse.
Urges Controlled Imitation.
Now we can cope with these debts
by wholesale receiverships and bank
ruptcies-thats disorderly. An Or
derly way is controlled imitation. I am
not talking about greenbacks. That's
least desirable. But in some way you
have to deal with all Of this or it viii
deal with you.
Next Is the hours Of employment.
We must deal not temporarily but per-
manently with the effects of techno-
logical unemployment. 1t certainly is
disorderly to keep the present relation
ship between hours of work and tech
nological unemployment. We are sure
ly making no economy in the displace-
ment and transfer of man-power from
private employment to public charity
It may seem to employers like tenn
porary profit. But ultimately they pay
in charity or taxation. We have to
consider economy in a real sense Hours
of employment should be reduced.
Favors Public Works.
"Ua ara never going To restore con-
fidence and start buying until 1t is
done on large scale by organized So
ciety through government. We also
must have a substantial public works
program. Every day its size automat-
ically grows larger. If $500, 100000
were sufficient on January 80, that
$500 900 900 is an insignificant amount
today.
I'VE folks out in Wisconsin do not
ignore the importance Of Europe or its
relationship to our problem. But we
do feel that If we get our own country
going, the accumulated wants of the
last two years are so great that we
would be starting the machinery to take
care of our national problem within the
next two years, during which time we
can begin to make our contribution to-
ward disentangling the skeins Of Europe.
And in this there is no factor more
important than the tariff. We have
seen in Wisconsin how retaliatory tariffs
enacted against us have affected ad-
versely our foreign business"
The Governor hazarded no prediction
as to what Is ahead. He too, Is waiting
for national leadership to assert itself
somewhere in washington, and he hopes
it will come in the nick OF time