The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-07-25
Games of Sport and the Game
of Business
railway Age)

Business In the United States IS
now emerging from one of the great
est crises in its history, and at the
same time entering another, but diff
ferent kind of crisis" The crisis it
Is entering will be caused by policies
Of the federal government which are
intended ostensibly to promote econ
omic recovery, but are intended also
to establish planned economy
which will prevent such excuses and
abuses in business as are believed by
those formulating and administering
the governments economic policies to
have caused the present depression.
One Of the methods being used to
correct the faults of the capitalistic
system which are deemed to have
caused the recent great catastrophe
IS that Of, in effect, requiring all ma
jor industries to adopt codes to elm
mate unfair competition. There is
actually only one measure Of the fair
ness of any act or practice in business,
and that Is the public interest.
When we compare the ways in
which games Of sport and the game
Of business are played, we perceive at
once a very great contrast. Every
competitive sport, from tiddle-dy-
winks to pugilisn. Is regulated by rules
the purpose Of which Is to make sue
cess dependent entirely upon the skill
and fairness of the players, and any
disregard Of these rules causes q man
to be disqualified as q player and os-
tracised as an undesirable member of
society. The game Of business Is the
greatest Of all games, and every right
thinking man has views as to the
rules according to which it should be
played; but getting money has been
allowed to become so paramount q
consideration that men who get q
large amount Of it usually are credited
with ability and success in playing
the game Of business, although they
may have got the money by violating
every principle of honor and decency.
II the governments policy Of requiring
the various industries to adopt and
adhere to codes Of fair competition
should result in causing all business
to be conducted in accordance with
rules that would give opportunity in
business In proportion to ability and
honor, it would confer the greatest
possible boon upon most business men
as well as upon the general public.
If the government Is entirely sin
cere in its determination to eliminate
unfair competition, which we do not
question, 1t must be plain to its off,
cials who are charged with carrying
out its industrial recovery program
that it has no more obvious duty than
that Of eQualizinG the conditions Of
competition between the railways, on
the one hand, and Of other means OF
transportation, on the other hand, as
much as they can be equalized by the
application to them Of comparable
government policies.
We are embarked upon an expert
ment in economies unprecedented In
all history in both its methods and
its magnitude. AS the government
has ample power to make the expert
ment and Is going to make it whether
business men like it or not, the only
reasonable thing for business men tx
do in the early future IS to give the
government officials in charge Of il
their full cooperation by helping
them 70 carry out those policies that
business men believe to be sound, O,
required by law regardless of thei,
soundness, and by opposing those pol
icies they believe to be unsound anc
not required by law. What the fina
effects will be upon the capitalisti<
system in the United States no one 1.
wise enough to foresee. It may be i'm.
proved, or it may be destroyed, bu
that the methods used in the conduc'
Of production, transportation, com
meroe and finance, and the distribu
ton Of the income derived from them
will long be greatly changed nov
seems highly probable.