Evening star., 1933-01-14
HCHNOCRAT ST|RS
! NEW CONTROVERSY
Survey of SCott's Audience
4 Shows Skeptlcism as
General Reaction.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
NEW YORK, January 14-Tech-
nocracy's head man, Howard Scott, had
stirred up a new wave of controversy
today as a result of his first formal dis
cussion of the subject with some leading
bankers and industrialists.
The New York Times said survey Of
the audience which heard him last night
at a Society of Arts and Sciences din
ner showed that in general his hearers
expressed skepticisfn, as well as disap-
confused presentation
That social conditions would get
worse and worse if present trends con-
tinued, and that unemployment would
increase in this country "to 10000 900
within 18 months" unless steps were
taken;
That mot one single outstanding DO
litical figure or financial figure has come
forward with any proposal that has one
iota OF usefulness in dealing with pres
ent-day conditions"
That there is nothing inherent In
democracy or the price system that
can deal with the problems in hand"
That the more energy we consume
per capita, the more is a change in
control rieceSsitated;"
That America and Russia both have
an obsolete price system"
That "technocracy has undoubtedly
caused the strangest alignment in his
tory"-the debt merchant and the
Communist being "down in the mud of
the last ditch, fighting shoulder to
shoulder in defense of system of ad-
vantage"
Bankers Listen Calmly.
The bankers, whom Scott referred to
as debt merchants" heard him calmly.
Although Scott denied technocracy was
trying to say there is going to be chaos
or there Is going to be DOOM" Jeffer-
son Seligman of 'Selignan Brothers,
bankers, found SCOTS views rather
gloomy"
1T is great thing to think about"
he said. Il have great respect for MIR.
Scott but i think his views are rather
gloomy. He seems to feel the end of the
world is coming. His opinions leave me
bewildered. Technocracy offers a lucra-
tive field for thought and speculation:
1t embraces many fields, philosophy.
sociology and economies
Frank A. Vanderlip, former president
of the National City Bank, found the
findings of democracy "a pretty true
picture" He said however he would
reserve judgment Until more official ma
terial was published.
Lionel ID. Edie, economist, complained
criticism of teehnocracy was virtually
impossible because It was difficult to
know when man really represented
democracy are too many un-
Official spokesnfen for the White
House,
Don't Have to Answer Critics.
Scott, a tall man with a wry smile
who smokes cigarettes fast and often.
said, We are not bothering to reply
to critics. We don't. have to- He said
that conditions in the next two years
on this continent will determine who is
correct
He declared. according to a steno-
graphic transcription, that I'VE are in
that unique situation that technocfacy
receiving the attention of the world Il
is now going to be used at least the at
tempt Is going to be made to use TECH
nocracy, not by those within technoc-
racy itself, but your present politician
and your debt merchants are going to
pose democracy as one of the prOpo-
sitions that viii necessitate state DO
litically which would be so great that
an Institutional Fssctsm viii be pro-
posed under the guise of dictatorfaI
prerequisites of TIE incoming Prest-
dent"
The meeting was held under the aus
pices Of the Society of Arts and Sci
ences.
AS he started his speech, Scott re-
ferred to the public attention that
democracy has received.
''Technocracy," he said, speaking last
night from the Continental Division
7340, wishes to be perfectly Under
stood that this has broken upon il like
nothing else that has happened 70 any
similar organization you might say, in
the memory of man
Potent $4,000 Words.
Months ago we were a quiet. un-
known, non-profit organization. which
in the year 1882 has expended less
than 81 200 and received not more than
$500 outside of the subscriptions of its
members. 1t has written $4,000 words.
Those $4,000 words, to Judge from the
results, are the most potent $4,000 that
have been written up to date, if action
and interest and curiosity are, on this
continent any judge of results"
A member of the audience sent Scott
a written question, reading:
Does technocracy. function to ad-
HIle ldWS VI
That's funny question said Scott.
Economics hasn't much to recommend
it. It's as good as bridge, though,
guess. It's good way to show the fu-
tility of the debt system. I'm not
answering such questions as that. Tech
nacracy doesn't have to. We're not
prima 6onnas. We haven't any public.
The question is. are we correct? Not
what are we going to do"
A survey of the audience was made
after the meeting by the New York
Times.
Statement Criticized.
Gano Dunn, president of the J. G.
White Engineering Corporation, said:
Il resent the claims to science and
when their methods are so distinctly
contrary to the methods of science and
engineering Mr.. Scott has Just said,
We do not bother with critics a
statement which no man who Is a SCI
enlist or an engineer could ever make"
The Times says that many of those
present had definite views, in most
cases uncomplimentary but declined
10 be quoted. One weH known banker
remarked bitterly that Mr.. Scott Ger
tainly was selling America short
Edie, a former professor Of finance at
the University of Chicago, said the
energy system which technocracy would
substitute for the price system was it
self price system using ergs and
Joules instead of gold He challenged
the accuracy of SCOTS figures In gen
eral and asked why they were not pub
lished so that steel figures might be ex-
amined BY the Steel Corporation, tele-