Montana labor news., 1933-01-26

After millions OF words of publicity,
mostly written by newspapermen who
know nothing of technology, Prof.
Rautenstrauch,a recognized engineer
of u%ndoubted authority, finally made
an official, technical report to New
York engineers under the auspices of
the Metropolitan Section, American
Society Of Mechanical Engineers. And
the New York newspapers which are
running pages of blurb on democracy
ignored it.
Outstanding fact of the evening:
Professor Rautenstrauch did not men,
ton the name bf Howard Scott,
reputed head of technocracy, once
When asked a question about Scott's
recent radio address, he failed to
answer.
Certain things he made clear:
1. Technocrats have nothing to do
with Columbia University, except that
their energy survey of North America
is being made in a room at the school
donated for that purpose. He said
that he is the only member of the
group who has any other connection
with the university.
2. T~echnocrats have no plan what
ever for taking control of the country
and in answer to a question which
pointed out the likeness between the
words democracy, democracy and
autocracy, he said very clearly that
democracy, unlike the other similar
words, had nothing to do with gov
ernmental rule.
3. Technocrats have no plan for
ending the panic, except the hope that
out of the discussion aroused par
TALLY by their findings will come a
number Of plans which will help to-
ward a gradual improvement. He
mot only failed to mention a collapse
in 10 months but implied directly that
the depth of the present depression
will be lessened while he pictured
American industry as "bent over
that is, past its top and headed slow
ly downward. AS he pictured the
road to recovery it is to promote
group thinking and out Of such think
ing will come the right processes
we have depended too much on Santa
Claus"
a. When the wages Of those who
buy the products of industry turned
downward (they have fallen go per
cent in three years. while the in
come Of the dividend and interest col
~lectors who invest in industry already
over-capitalized continued upward
(the 1882 figures were at about the
1928 level), ever politicians ought to
have known that trouble was ahead.
This trend was wildly illustrated by
a graph and Rautenstrauch's COM
ment was cheered by his listeners.
S. While the cost of production has
been decreased by invention, the cost
of selling has been increasing so that
engineers see goods they manufacture
for S25 selling at retail for from 500
to $125.
6. All American industry and each
industry has grown much as a puppy
does in weight-slowly at first, then
very rapidly for a time until a period
is reached where a line representing
the weight "bends over"-that is, there
is no gain for a period and then there
is a loss. In many industries the
largest employment was back in 1905
and 1912 with the highest production
not much later. American industry
has reached and passed its peak.
He made it clear that the techno
Gratis energy survey of North Amerl
ca is being made by jobless engineer
on relief funds-not by outstanding
national figures as some of the pub
licity has had it. This statement wa!
made even more ironic by the fac
that the printed program announcing
Rautenstrauch's address ended will
a plea for old clothes, used shoes
hats, underwear, women's and chill
dren's clothing of all sizes for thu
hundreds of engineers who "are a
the point of complete restitution
among the 1900 engineers who wer'
helped in 1882.
And most ironical Of all-the larg
est number of the destitute were me
chanical engineers.