Evening star., 1933-01-14
Basis for Future Inquiries
Seen i'm Social Trend Report

Believing that President Hoover Is
in harmony with the spirit of the re-
port. the San Jose Mercury Herald de-
clares that, having the expert engi-
neer's grasp OF industrial forces, he saw
that industry could overcome its ills
only through intelligent cooperation,
and that the essential thing to do was
to arouse the spirit of cooperation"
The Youngstown Vindicator summa-
rizeS the activities represented: While
the committee does not consider that
any economic plan after the Russian
fashion Is possible, it does recommend
the organization, at some time, Of
National Advisory Council including
scientific, educational. governmental and
economic representatives, to consider
the basic social problems of the Nation.
Such council would aim to co-ordi-
nate modern trends so that they would
benefit the people as whole, slowing
up the changes which occur too rapidly
and speeding up the changes which
lag"
Much of the body of the report deals
With the obvious, but it makes the OBJ
vious new by the process of eorrela-
tion," thinks the Minneapolis journal.
with the further conclusion that it
avoids dogma and invites constructive
li1OuShl Lie hppIctOfl HOSt-CreScent
Is convinced that ION the whole. it is
not a gloomy picture of our future
which is painted, and in vivid contrast
to the dire predictions of technocrats."
The Louisville Courier journal believes
that the conclusions will be studied
further by other minds. and subjected to
intensive thought and experiment"
In criticism of some OF the sugges-
tions growing out of the report, the
Boston Transcript states "On high au-
thority we are reminded that it is diff
cult to distinguish between the long
time trend and the short-time tendency
The distinction between the trend and
the tendency was emphasized by Prof.
William p. Ogburn in comment upon
the report OF the Presidents committee.
Prof Ogburn was member of the COM
mittee. In his statement he explained
that the country is now suffering from
fiuctuatior, not from trend. The trend
is something to be determined only by
the study OF events over period of
years approaching the lifetime of
generation. If the trend Is upward there
will probably be temporary recessions.
The world just now Is experiencing one
of them. Prof. Ogburn holds to
the opinion that, in this country, at
least the upward trend persists not
WlthStanqing the present short-time
tendency. He holds that the long
time economic outlook Is bright. with
new machinery in, prospect that will
create new jobs and higher standard
of living. He does not expect, however,
that change from the short t-time ten
dency to the resumption OF the long
time trend will occur overnight"
as a bill to be introduced in Con-
gress." asks the Kansas City Star,
providing for more impressive integra-
ton of social skills and fusing of So
cial purposes? We fear that would be
too formidable an undertaking Per-
haps the best that can be hoped for is
that the country will go along making
the necessary adjustments as their need
becomes evident Meanwhile. the latest
report will be filed along with many
other similar documents and-we hate
to admit-forgctten."
The report might be summed up."
according TO the Newark Evening News,
"as showing the old and the new in
everlasting conflict, whereas the need is
for cooperation. That stands out as
the truth, whether the syllogism as a
whole is correct or not. As such 1t
applies not only internally to this
country, but to the whole world and
its inter-relationships."