, 1934-11-12
The World
At a Glance
BY LESLIE EICHEL
Press Staff Writer

NEW york, Nov. i2.-IIow prl-
waite will private business" be
hereafter2
That Is al Lp~pe-.lost question
wherever business men congresate
these days.
IL Is not only an uppermoSt queS-
ton where business men congre-
gate. but where union men and
other workers cOngregate and
among politicians
The issue finally was br0iglt
out into the open by the Great At
lantic a. Pacific Tea company
Chain stCre grocery concern
through Its resent action III Cleve-
land IN closing 293 stores rather
than submit to u-nionization.
Clearly a rex Development l. oc-
curing In The American economic
and social evolution.
From every present indication
congress will decide at the coming
session that there Is a public in
terest in every private business.
Business men, among themselves,
see that coming. They blame the
Roosevelt administration. Admin
ministration men. however. believe
hat this Is 100 elemental a sol
ution" or an explanation"
Administration advisers see these
new Developments as q logical part
OF the present evolution.
Public Veal
The matter III public veal II in
creasingly discussed.
But public veal itself Is taking
a proportion that j. startling
business.
For example, when "a. a. p. clos
ed its Cleveland shops Oh less than
one days notice. q question OF pub
-ic welfare arose. Could a company
even a coIpony considering itself
'wronged," close its shops If such
c.oSings caused a hardship to the
public? This argument hitherto
has been used against strikes but
now has broadened 10 include both
Sides.D
Greater Cleveland, a community
Of some l.25O.OO0 persons. found
certain districts greatly incommod-
edo by the closing Of the grocer
les. These shops. through more htan
half a century OF trade, had be-
cone community necessities.
Citizens argued that the corpora
ton. largely owned by one family
"Off In New York" had earned NIL
lions OF dollars IN Cleveland, and
that Ii owed the community a GER
tain degree Of loyalty. "a year ago
the firm had refused 10 Join with
other groceries III Cleveland III eX-
tending credit To local relief agen-
cies. That, however. had been a
matter Of prerogative.
Now. harassed because unions
were trying to force unionization on
III. the firm suddenly discharged H.
900 employees many OF whom had
not joined any unionl and sudden
IN had closed shop. That was a diff
ferent matter. Did the right OF pre-
rOgative stop there2
There is no question that the
intimidations we're such. the COM
pany was faced with the llterna-
tive either oi bowling to %unioniza-
ton or closing its shops.
But food shops are a public neces-
sity. And the right when Is ac-
corded 10 private purveyors 10 han
dele food and TO profit by % doing
carries with II the moral obligation
that the communltys needs are
paramount.
Plus which, the closing OF food
shops In such large numbers creates
a situation which may bring forth
extreme unrest.
Thus the federal government
broke all records In summoning 70
Washington. through the National
Labor Relations Board. the parties
u the issue. effecting a settlement
within three days.
But the settlement does not clear
the issue. III profits cease ALTO
gether. can a company step out
from under? This particular firm
may have cash reserves or $50 mil
lion dollars. but not all corpora
tons are Sd fortunate.
VIII the state or c0~-operativeS