Evening star., 1934-05-03
STRAWN DEMANDS
.U.SEXPER|MENTAL
LEGISLATION END
United States c. of c. Hears
Ex-President in Second
General Session.
ASKS ANNOUNCEMENT
EMERGENCY is OVER
Speaker Joins Colleagues in At
tack on Stock Exchange Bill
and Securities Act.

An end to experimental legisla-
ton" in the interest of business bet
terment was demanded today by Silas
H. Strawn. prominent Chicago at
torney, in an address before the sec
ond general session of the Chamber
Of Commerce of the United States.
Disclaiming criticism of the admin
istration, Strawn, former president
of the chamber, said President Roose-
velt should make definite announce
ment that the emergency is over, and
that there will be no more requests
for emergency legislation and no more
tinkering with the dollar.
The sharp character of the speech,
in which Strawn also joined with
other members Of the chamber in
calling for revision of the securities
act and attacked the pending stock
exchange bill, saying both constituted
stumbling blocks to freer progress OF
business, injected new note into the
deliberations of the convention.
Along with Strawn on this morn
ing'S program at the chamber audi
torium were Gov. Paul " McNutt Of
Indiana and W. Sanford Evans OF
Winnipeg. president Of the Canadian
Chamber of Commerce.
Lack Of Confidence a Menace.
1T is obvious" Strawn said, that
the greatest menace to the revival OF
normal business, not only in the
United States but throughout the
world generally, is a lack OF conf
dence." l trust I shall not be re-
garded as unpatriotic when I express
the opinion that confidence will not
be restored until there is cessation Of
experimental legislation, such Of
which has been rushed through the
Congress and through the Legisla-
lures of the several States as well
without serious. deliberate considera-
ton and frequently without debate.
Assuming that this legislation was
conceived with the best of motives
for the general welfare. there is no
convincing evidence it is a part of
general well thought out and COM
plete program. In other words, eco
nomically and financially. We seem to
be drifting about on an uncharted
sea hoping that some favorable wind
may spring up to carry us safely into
port Therefore l submit, without
criticiZing the adminiStration-for
both of our political parties have COL
laborated in the adoption of much Of
the hysterical legislation-the time
has arrived when there should be
definite announcement that we have
ceased experimenting in order that
the business men of the country may
have more definite premises from
which they can arrive at conclusions
respecting the future conduct of their
business and the obligations they
must meet in the form Of pay rolls
and taxes.
Opposes Abandoning System.
I'm our zeal to get out of the de-
preston it seems to conservative
thinkers that We have given more
attention to social reforms than we
have to the correction of temporary
Embellishments. This is a world
wide phenomenon.
In lighter vein Strawn, regarded as
a leader in the conservative faction
of the chamber, said that being per-
haps too old, or too slow. to get in
step with the rapidly-moving process
sion (some of my progressive friends
say don't even see the procession
going by, I find difficulty in con-
senting to the abandonment of q
scheme of government which for $50
years has made us happier and more
prosperous than the people of any
other nation, and to adopting a daily
portfolio of discordant experiments
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