The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-11-04
Gerard Swope's Suggestion

Proposal BY Gerard swope that in
dustry adopt . measure Of self.con
troll to supplant the NRA when tha
instrument Of national policy has rul
Its two.year course viii command
much thought and attention IN com
ing weeks.
Intelligent and torward-lookins mel
will support 1t, particularly II the!
are strong supporters Of the capital
istic system. The reasons are rather
obvious.
The National Recovery Act = q
emergency measure with . limited
life. 1t was designed to get the wheel,
started again without thought to what
the situation would b over . long
term Of years. Temporarily It puts
certain restrictions on business and
makes certain requirements, presum-
ably in the public interest. The
Sherman anti-trust law is set aside
and business y given IN opportunity
to enter into agreements which used
to be illegal.
But less than two years hence the
emergency act will expire. Business
will Be free to do as It pleases. What
will happen then?
Will the old types Of destructive
competition reappear? VIII It again
become necessary for employers to
get the last ounce Of blood from labor
in order to stay in business? WIN we
have again the same set of conditions
which contributed 50 much to our
recent downfall?
One hopes not. Few, II any, In
dividuals will profit under such a
situation. Society as a whole unques-
tionably would suffer iu1measurable
loss.
But that is just what will happen
unless definite and constructive steps
are taken. We are by no means out
OF the woods and II Is improbable that
all Of our troubles will have been
cleared away two years hence. But
We do know that the road We now
are travelling will end then. Sxope
does the country d service by point
ing out that such q time is fast.ap.
preaching and that We must be pre-
pared to meet It. The solution which
he suggests seems sound and sensible.
It win have to be worked out In de.
tail, but the Intelligence which has
directed industry IN the past should
be equal to the task. It must b II
democracy. as We know it, is to sur
Sive.
The demand for socialisation of In.
dustry already is being strongly urged
and by many persons who would re-
sent being called socialists. It will be
urged more strongly If We return to
chaos instead Of pursuing the pathway
toward larger life and leisure for
the average individual.
At the same time, it is to the ad.
vantage Of everyone that government
be taken out Of business as rapidly Is
possible. II 1t IS not, we soon NAV
learn that a new ruling class has
sprung up in America and that pub
lie officials can become public de-
spots.
Swopes proposal provides for the
oemocratization Of business without
surrendering individual initiative or
evading responsibility to the public
interest.
The man Is = forward-lookinR
thinker with sense Of social respon.
slbility. His record as head Of the
General Electric company proves that.
He is not insensible to the rights and
needs Of labor or Of the average citi.
zen. It was he who susgested two
years ago that industry would have to
do something drastic or submit to
government domin alton.
That prophecy has come true and
this fact makes his suggestion now
all the more Interesting.