Evening star., 1934-07-10
R|CHBERG DEFENDS.
N.R.A.ASAMER|CAN.
Tells Public Affairs Institute
Aim Is Self Government
in Industry.
NJ liaa Aan,lrlaaea rrexE

NJ The Associated Frsss
CHARLOTTESVILLE. Va. July 10.
development Of an economic con-
stitution for The establishment Of
self- government in industry" today
was named formally as the funda-
mental problem Of the recovery pro-
gram
Donald r. Richberg. N r. A gen.
eral counsel and executive director OF
both the National Emergency Council
and the new Industrial Emergency
Committee. asserted in an address be-
fore the Institute of Public Affairs at
the University Of Virginia
This ideal Of economic planning Is
an ideal in harmony with political
planning for seli-Eovernment."
Declared American.
Riohberg. who at President Roose-
veits direction is seeking 10 co-ordi-
nate the Governments industrial poll
cies. said the goal Of "a planned econ
omy which is neither Fascist nor
Communist In character. which is de-
terrnined by no dictatorship or autoc-
racy" is "in harmony with the ideals
of those who first wrote the Declara-
tion OF Independence and then the
Constitution Of the United States"
III we can write into that (eco-
nomic) constitution" Richberg said.
"a representative form OF government
based on a free choice. a free func-
a. .N-s 1t III
interests, using the sanctions Of polit-
zeal government merely TO enforce the
considered judgments Of the majority.
We may devise method of self con-
troll which will last long after the
present experiments in political con-
troll in other nations have disap-
peared"
Richberg said. 1T may be worth
while TO dispel the myth that the
process OF establishing codes OF fair
competition is a theoretical expert
ment being carried on by a mythical
group of youthful brain trusters oper-
sting under a presidential Dictator
ship"
Codes Declared Representative.
On the contrary, he said. N. r. A.
codes were written by representative
groups of trade and industry and were
the product of majority rule. He
added:
ITO claim that such a process of
self-government is invalid, under
Constitution designed to establish and
perpetuate government by the con-
sent Of the governed. is to claim that
the American people have denied
themselves the power TO control so
far as necessary in the public interest.
the processes of industrial production
and distribution upon which depend
the political as well as the economic
freedom and security of all the
people.
I'VE cannot preserve the Constitu
ton of the United States as a
charter Of political freedom by con-
STRUNG it as charter of economic
anarchy. We cannot maintain our
structure of political law upon the
foundation OF economic lawlessness.
We cannot preserve individual liberty
by sanctioning the right of any indi-
vidual to use an economic power, any
more than political power. to
Cypress his fellow men,"
Self Government Desired.
We have the industries necessary
to serve the needs Of 10000, 900
people. We cannot coordinate them
in one board of directors. We want
them to govern themselves.
But we must make sure that they
will govern themselves, not as warning
economic States, or as trade monopo-
lies, each seeking to prey upon the
other. but as groups of individual
enterprises. each as independent as
an individual home, but all working
in accord with a common purpose to
serve as co-ordinating parts of an
economic system designed to serve the
needs of the Nation"