The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-11-16
(ldyI|'jdl92'q@}fSljjj 1qg e&
National Topics Interpreted "a fTfFHSYM
by William Bruckart knrIf1F


ship Of England that
Sen-Control consequences flowing
fTJ. from the acts OF
statesmen were the
things that mattered and the truth of
his thought has had no better demon.
stration than In the turn of events
which has followed adoption OF the
principle of the national recovery act.
The acts of the statesmen, In this In
stance, conducted the national govern
ment directly Into the middle Of pri-
vate business, enterprise and initiative
under the guise OF partnership with
the government. The consequence
flowing from those acts is the slow,
but certain, development OF new type
of permanent self-control for Industry.
/ am referring, of course, to the
proposition that has come at once to
be known as the "Swope Plan" be-
cause It was Gerard Swope, head OF
the giant General Electric company.
who fathered the plan Ii. indeed, he
did not work out the details, and gave
1t the impetus to carry ON. The Swope
name Is synonymous with big business
and Industrial leadership, hence the
prestige that the Swope plan had from
the start
But, whether business likes 1t or not,
and whether the bulk Of the people at
this time agree with the principle, |
have found few persons In position
to survey the future who fail to see
anything In the picture other than con-
tinuation Of some of the NRA prin-
ciples, and Mr.. Swope's proposal per
petuates them. Mr.. Swope appears to
recognize that there are numerous
evils In the NRA system now obtain
Ing and at the same time to recognize
the necessity for thorough house
cleaning by business itself. In other
words. the Swope plan contemplates
providing business with authority to
do the things MIRA was organized to
do but, In the nature OF things, cannot
possibly do.
Since there are too many details to
permit OF discussion of all of them
In these columns. permit me to sum
Marie the swope plan as logical set
up for the control of all industry by
itself, with a national chamber Of
commerce at the top. In the admins
tration OF that chamber, the federal
he ri
that provides the necessary govern
ment supervision. The present sys
tenn OF codes for this and for that, hit
and miss. enforced by men and women,
who, In some cases, have had no prac-
tIcal experience whatsoever. would he
superseded by trade associations for
each industry.
There would be the necessary regu-
latory committees In which the indus
trial folks themselves would be In the
majority but In which the government
would participate so that 1t knew what
was going on. The primary RESPONSE
bility. as becomes readily apparent,
would be on the business interests and
the government would horn In only
when human avarlce or crookedness
upset policies predicated upon sound
Judgment and far vision.
The program, too, would eliminate
what observers here have feared con.
stantly, namely. the building up OF q
gigantic bureaucracy In Washington
That Is what Is happening under NRA
and one cannot be blind to II even
while admitting the gains resulting
from MIRA activities. When Mr.. Swope
made his announcement before the adj
vIsory and planning commission of the
Department OF Commerce, he barely
limited at that phase. yet 1t was plain
he was aware Of the growing tendency
since it Is history how government en-
croaches further and further unless
the people themselves call halt.
Mr.. Swope laid his plan before the
council and the nation with the ad-
monition that:
FAVOR 4If business does
Suope Plan not organize to con-
troll itself, either the
state or the federal government will"
So the program was born, and 1t i'm
mediately received the blessing of the
administration and expressions of
good luck from various other sources.
1t may be, and probably will be,
that enmity and petty jealousy will
stick out for changes In favor of indi-
vidual groups, but as far as ! have
been able to learn the structure has
been set up and 1t is likely to stand
as principle. mean by that, the
chances are industry will choose In
the end to accept what 1t may consider
to he the lesser OF two evils from its
own standpoint, 1t will take either
something built up from the Swope
plan that will keep. commerce and I'm.
dustry IN decent plane. or 1t will
have to swallow further encroachments
from governmental bureaucracy.
1t Is to be remembered that Presl-
dent Roosevelt has insisted that he
Is not irrevocably committed to any
of the plans for recovery which he
has sponsored. He has described them
generally, as he said OF the agricul.