The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-27

UdI gam Will lIlG ulOllCDOllSJlC pow
dental bargains merely demonstrate
the general fact that the NRA sus-
pended the antitrust laws without
establishing an effective substitute
for them. This is not individualism
and it is not cOllectiviSm. 1t is SIM
ply our old friend private monopoly
THE issue which has now to be
Il decided is whether the govern
ment will attempt to restore compe-
tition or whether it will approve
combination, which must lead in
evitably and directly to regulation
! as comprehensive as that imposed
on other monopolies like the rail-
roads and the public utilities.
The trade commission unmistak-
ably prefers return to competition
and without much doubt the mass
of the people would prefer it if the
choices were clearly presented. The
steel companies would naturally like
to fix prices without government
regulations. And those who have en-
thusiasm for collective order
would like the monopoly to exist,
but to transfer its control to the
government. There is thus a tri-
angular conflict of old-fashioned
trust busters, old-fashioned private
mOnopoliStic and new-fangled COL
lective planners.
In this conflict NRA does not
seem to know where it's stands and
what it thinks. 1t is impossible to
find out definitely where the ad-
ministration stands. When the re-
covery act was before congress
last spring Senator Borah tried
to find out by raising the issue
Squarely as to whether it was pro-
posed to resist or to tolerate mo-
nopolistic combination.
From Senator Wagner, who I'M
dertook to answer him, he got we'll
meant but vague assurances which
indicated clearly that the matter
had not been thought through to a
conclusion. When the bill became
law both the President and General
Johnson issued sincere appeals to
industries not to exploit their new
right of combination to raise prices.
THE MIRA has continued inter-
- mittently to growl about the
rising prices of manufactured goods,
and it has even set up representa-
ton for the consumer which per-
mlts them to growl.
But the principle had not been
thought out. Then the administra-
ton became possessed with the idea
that recovery depended upon
hustling everybody into a code.
There began mass production of
codes. In the heat of the Washing
ton summer with everybody over
worked and nervous, hundreds of
codes were put together slap-dash
somehow.
Speeches, regulations, statements,
personal assurances followed one
another in torrent of excited good
will. The price of all this hurry
was that there was no time to set
tie the vital issues, no time to work
out what the labor sections ought
to mean, no time to work out The
basic problems of competition and
monopoly.
1t was not the original intention
to proceed in this fashion. The
original idea was to work out codes
for a few industries, like coal, oil,
textiles, steel, to work them out
carefully and with a recognition
that as the conditions are radically
different, the codes must be
radically different. To have made
half dozen good codes would have
been great contribution to recon-
Struction. But the NRA had to have
several hundred codes right away
on the theory that it was promoting
recovery. 1t was this desire to do the
thing wholesale and in a hurry
which is the root of the trouble. 1t
is at the root of the whole problem
Of compliance.
THE NRA has made more rules
l. for more people than it can pos
sibly remember, much less enforce.
It is at the root of the labor
problem. For instead of working out
a method of collective bargaining
in few industries, the NRA has
promised collective bargaining to
everybody Immediately. and it can
not make good its promise. 1t is at
the root of the enormously disturb
ing interference with the natural
order in the relation of prices of
which NRA is in part the cause and
in part the pretext.
1t is not pleasant to have to
criticize men who have worked as
hard, as disinterestedly and with
such fervor as General Johnson and
his aids. They have performed
miracles of organization and diplo-
matte negotiation, and General
Johnson particularly has a vitality,
a rough good humor and a capacity
for getting result which are al
together extraordinary. Probably
no other man could have done what
he has done, and though it has
seemed to me ever since the blue
eagle campaign was started last
summer, that the NRA is distorted
in its execution, for General john
son as personal and as a public
figure it is impossible not to have
the utmost respect and admiration.
He has proved himself to be a
field officer of genius He has not
been, I think, wise staff officer.
He wins battles on fifty sectors. He
is in grave danger Of losing the war
I do not mean the war against
depression. For that was never
more than a minor part of the task