Evening star., 1933-10-11


dress delivered last night by Hugh s
johnson, the recovery administrator,
before the American Federation Of La
Dor convention:
1.-THE basic principles of N. I. r. A.
are sound and simple.
"On the one hand they permit and
encourage each great industry to organ
ize an act as one under direct Govern
mental supervision. This right had
been denied by statute before the pas
sage of this law
"On the other hand they permit and
encourage the workers in each industry
to organize and act as one This right
has been at least hampered and i'm
paired by court decisions based on the
common law before the passage of
N. I. r. A.
In other words this act asks for CO.
operation between industry, labor and
Government as one great team, to pre-
serve the economic health of the ma
ton and it permits the organization Of
both industry and labor without which
such cooperation would be wholly I'M
possible.
Presidents Own Conception.
This is a profound change in eco
nomic policy of a. great nation. 1t Is
something new under the sun. 1t Is the
Presidents own concept No exponent
of economic theory suggested this plan
to him. 1t has been criticized ano
nearly all the criticism I have heard
springs from misconception. 1t deserves
clear understanding by every thought
full man because it is the most intell1-
gent and practical answer to a vital ma
tional problem ever conceived and put
into execution. Every citizen has dis
tinct part to play in that execution, Dut
no man can play any position IN vas'
teamwork unless he knows both nus
own part and the purpose OF the Whole
plan.
you cannot have cooperation with
out that knowledge and you cannot nave
it without organization. Seven million
industrial operations cannot act on 9
general plan without some system OF
Organization. neither can 4O,O00,000 in
dividual workers. This plan is to get
complete cooperation by organization
the organization of each great industry
and parallel with it the organization oi
workers in each great industry. That
is the first and fundamental idea OF
N I. R. A-organization to the ultl-
mate.
Must Be Check on Powers.
But there are danger signals here
The power of organization Is immense
A fully organized and unchecked in
dustry could exploit and dominate 9
whole nation. A fully organized ano
unchecked labor could do exactly the
same There must be responsibility IN
each such organization. There must be
check of these great powers. Oul
Government is government of the whole
people. Its principal excuse for ex-
istence is protection of the whole people
These vast organizations of industry
and of labor must each be responsible
to government and each must admit
governmental participation and control
No industrial combination must be per-
mitted to practice monopolistic oppres-
sion and exploitation. No labor COM
bination must be permitted to paralyze
a whole industry by the unchecked use
of power. These three principles. then
Organization - cooperation - govern
mental participation-are Of the very
essence of N. I. R. A.
BLUEPRINT Plan Simple.
1.-The blueprint plan is thus simple
enough to state. Organized industry
and organized labor, both responsible
and both headed into governmental par
ticipation and absolute veto power
thus to permit the widest possible lati-
tude of self-government. self discipline,
and complete cooperation. but to check
instantly any abuse of power at its very
inception. That is the ground plan of
N. l. r. A. and the broad foundation
of all that We have tried to do under
the Presidents direct and personal
guidance. and want to repeat and en-
phasize that not one single code has
been approved without his personal
and searching scrutiny and that at
every critical point he has direct and
intimate leadership
Now why is all this either necessary
or desirable. We got along for cen.
tury and half without it. Why do We
to me equally obvious. Up to the enc
of the COS this was still pioneer
country. An essential of pioneering i.
individual adventure. Every horizon i.
a new challenge to any red-blooded mar
to venture forth trusting wholly to the
brain and sinew with which nature
equipped him for his struggle for exist
ence and advancement. In every fail
ure there was always the beckoning O1
new hope>the urge to new try
Despair need never come SO long as
health and sanity remained and there
was an open field for individual enter
prise.
No Longer Frontier Community.
"In such surroundings there is no need
for complete organization and where
there Is no need there is no justification
because the ideal of human life Is the
widest individual latitude and respon-
sibility with the minimum Of govern
mental intrusion. AS Jefferson said
that government is best which governs
least" We are willing to surrender only
so much of individual liberty as is neces-
sary to protect the rights of others. But
we must surrender that if We are to
live in the increasing complexity OF
modern life. 1t is to that very com
plexity that We must give our Thoughts
tonight. We are no longer frontier
community. We are in the grip Of an
intense industrialization. The whole
scene and surroundings have changed
1--WE must keep in mind the precept
of jefferson and keep out government
intrusion, but self government today Is
self government by-groups in industry
to the end of economic placidity-groups
in labor to the end of individual pro-
lection.
Little Room for Adventures.
"In this new era of mass production
and chain distribution there is little
room in commerce or industry for the
adventurer on a shoestring. All the old
common callings have merged into mass
enterprise. The anvil and the bellows Fellows
of the village blacksmith nave glVel,
nlace TO the enormous productivity OF
batteries of drop FORCES and rows Of open
hearths. The cobbler's last is out OF busi-
ness before serried ranks OF automatics'
and even the independent corner gro
cery or drug store finds life impos..
sible in the face of its highly organized
rivals of the chain type. Nobody de-
creed or legislated absolute 1ndlvidual-
len, into this dilemma. The astonishing
progress of science and finance simply
left it behind, and there is no use IN
fighting against the progress OF the
4. :, for fhoe IN kiCk against