The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-03-02
Big GROCER HITS
EXPLOITATION OF
SMALL BUSINESS
President Of I. G. A. Says Farm
or, Businessman and La.
borer Must Thrive

Blame 1Or the present. ECONOMIC Slt.
uation Is placed on the fact that ag-
riculture, small business and labor
have suffered exploitation by big
business, finance and politics" by J.
Frank Grimes Of Chicago, president
and founder Of the Independent Gro
GERS Alliance Of America and other
voluntary alliance groups Of indie
pendent distributors and dealers.
Addressing an audience OF several
hundred faculty members and stu
dents and outside business and indus
trial leaders at Northwestern Untver-
sity, he said, Il am firmly convinced
that the serious situation Americas
business finds itself in today can be
definitely laid to the most fragrant
unethical practices that ever have been
committed by a sane and intelligent
people.
"Drunk with q false sense Of power
we have reared q three-legged struc !.
ture-finance, big business and poll
tics-and we have forgotten that ag-
riculture, small business and labor al
ways have and always will provide the
vital essentials to the success OF any
people or nation.
Arc Effects, Not Cause
"Not for q moment should we con-
clude that any one Of these three legs
are not needed. In the civilization
we have attained. these are OF utmos:
| Importance. But they are the effects
not the cause Of progress.
1--WE will not for q single moment
quarrel with the efficiency and uti-
Iity Of our capitalistic system. But we
must take decided issues with the ad-
ministration and direction OF this
great system"
quoting census Of distribution fig
ures to show that the preponderance
OF buying power normally rests with
Horticulture, small business and labor,
the speaker pointed out that today
these three groups are unable to pur-
chase even the bare necessities Of ex-
iStence.
"Try as we may, we cannot place
the blame on nature or providence"
he said.
I'VE must at last place the blame
where It belongs, on the unethlcal
practices Of those individuals and In
stitutions which we have trusted and
worshipped. Here history will record
the guilt"
Defending the place Of the retailer.
the distributor and small manuac.
turer who comprise the small business
group. Grimes declared that by its
very nature and character the retail
business was designed to be an indi-
vidual enterprise.
Found Their Opportunity
"fIere the man or woman with Inn
tied capital but with ambition and q
willingness to work found the oppor-
tunity to conduct . business Of his
own. Obviously every one with ambi-
tion cannot be IN executive In bank
Or hold important offices In great coz
| porations. .
"The number Of opportunities IN
large enterprise. are limited. But IN
| 1881 We had over 100000 retail es-
| tablishmeuts. We had over 5000
wholesale houses supplying retailers
| and many Thousands Of small manu-
facturers operating In every section Of
our country.
"These, together with agriculture.
provided tho very commercial life
blood Of the great number Of small
towns and cities In every state.
whenever prosperity Of our small
villages. towns and cities has been in
iured we find Unemployment In our
| industrial centers increases. wages 60
down, dividends are passed. interest
lon bonds and mortgages Is defaulted
| and there Is . general decline IN the
value q stocks, bonds, real state and
equipment
To-day W can trace tho distress
|in cur industrial centers 70 the low
cred standard Of living IN our small
towns and cities, which has declined
| TO the lowest level In the last IS years
aFArm income dropped from ST.
ooo, 100000 IN 1870 to $3.50. 1000 IN
1852"