The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-06-16
nv RAYMoND CHAPTER

(O0pyr1EnE 10So uy OMAsS0 1zCs't
 washington, June le-NuFl- The industrial control program,
 most far-reaching of the many
 emergency measures iauncnee Dy the Coneress which adjourned to-
 day, is getting under way m
 rush of speed recalling war-ume. Without waiting for President
 Roosevelt to sign the bill, and with
 ont being officially appointed,
 General Hugh Johnson, who will be in charge. is setting up his or ganization.
 and his assistants do not admit they are officially at work. But they are very muhc at work. Johnson. hard hitting tousel- haired soldier and business exec utiye. is, driving with pressure equal to that which he used Tn 1917. in throwing, the selective i draft into operation. He regards this as a battle to set men pack to work.
 speed is all important. Lights are burning late in the department of commerce building where ne and his aides work amidst desk movers, telephone men hooking up instruments, and swarms or 3op hunters and representatives or in- dustries.
 General Johnson and his assist ants are most cheered over the ap- parent eagerness of industry to join in !partnership with the gov ernment in the new deal Tor pusl- ness. Business men are hocking 70 Washington and crowding the iohs corridors of the department ol commerce building - represent atives of textiles, oil, automotive industries, radio manufacturers, printing. steel and iron, coal and many others.
 Some of his aides construe this ! is an indication that hard-headed business men themselves are dis iilusioned about the merits or old time free competition.
 President Henry 1. Hartman Of i the U. s. Chamber of Commerce | is one of the most etiergetic sup porters of the new experiment. For years business has felt that the antitrust laws were attempting to hold industry in a strait jacket.
 These laws were in themselves
 a recognition that the competitive principle would not work without help from the government. Left to compete on their own, big busi-
 nesses gobbled up smaller ones. The antitrust laws were aimed to restrain this dog -eat-dog form of
 competition and hold back the
 more carniverous so that the little
 fellows could get their share at the
 consumers trough.
 But the depression. disclosed
 plainly what many economists had contended-that the old com petitive principle led to waste and
 over production, demoralization or
 labor and frequent collapse or
 mass consuming power. Now the Igoyernment is moving into part | nership with industry, scrapping
 the old idea of competitionLtesh..
 nically for a two-year period put
 more likely for good-and sub
 jecting industry to social control.
 One major issue has been put
 up to President Roosevelt for de-
 cision, It Is the question whether
 Johnson's industrial control organ
 ization or the agriculture depart ment will administer the trade
 regulation of industries utilizing
 farm products, including textiles.
 dairy industries, meat packers ana canners. These come under both the industrial control and the
 farm acts, which are practically
 Identical in licensing provisions. Control must be allocated by the
 president.
 Secretary of Agriculture Wal
 lace believes that his department
 should control the textile industry through the weaving stage, with
 Johnson taking over the fabrica- I ton and manufacture of clothing and other textile products. rex titles constitute one of the major volume industries on which John
 son hopes to concentrate frst m
 his program to put 4.0oV'ooo men
 back to work by fall.
 The agriculture department be- lieves 1t should control the entire dairy industry, and has conciuaed
 one milk agreement Tor the Cn,-
 cago district. which VIII provloe ! the first courtitest of the licens- inr[ powers granted under both
 farm and industrial control acts.
 An Illustration of how Johnson i is working is shown in the visit of i committee of the Radio Manu- facturers association. This com mittee. headed by Fred D. Wil- Hams of Indianapolis. and W. Roy McCanne of Rochester, N. r., went into conference with w. l.. I Allen, former steel engineer, who l Is Johnson's representative for the radio industry. pr Alexander Sachs, Johnson's chief economist. was present.
 They told the radio nlanufactur- |ers to submit data as to the condi- | tion of their industry and then |work out . proposed trade agree ment covering hours and wages.