The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-02-15
Aid Private Enterprise

Radicals who believe that President
Roosevelt Is going In their direction
as rapidly as he dares are In for some
what OF shock In the NEXT few
months, according to sources very
close to the White House. They could
have seen the shadow of the coming
events II they had looked closely at
the budget message, and noted that
the President proposed to get the
finances Of the treasury on an even
keel by year after next.
The predicting shadow took on d
darker tlnge In mid-January, when
the President indicated that CWA was
approaching Its end.
But the flat statement has been
made to the writer that the admins
tratlon Is about to begin drive to
encourage private enterprise. The
President Is anxious that private EN-
ployment take up the slack which Is
about to be made by dlscontinuance Of
CWA expenditures. This will not rep
resent anything like 100 per cent
absorption by private industry OF the
workers now on government rolls.
For actually the business of getting
people to work on some OF the projects
approved by the government has been
very slow indeed. In fact, the fiat
statement Is made right now that 30
far as direct government contracts are
concerned, the number OF workers In
volved has not yet reached Its crest.
This was the reason for the CWA
In the first place-the tremendous
necessity OF getting money In work.
ers' hands quickly, so that 1t would be
spent and start the upward movement.
The whole world will be watching
with enormous interest the results OF
the appeal to be made by the admin
stratlon for more private business.
Control of Industry
Mr.. Roosevelt's ideas about the con-
troll OF industry, the limitation Of
profits, the piling up Of "stagnant sur
pluses," the waste of over-buildIng
productive capacity, later to stand
stark and Idle" have been very keen
ly studied in certain foreign capitals.
The whole policy, 1t has seemed to
most observers, was. from an outside
point OF view, II not 80 calculated, apt
to discourage the investment OF pri-
vate capital In new lines OF business
venture. At least half OF the observ-
ers who have watched the Roosevelt
policies with respect to control OF
business by the government have fig
ured that, IL carried to their logical
conclusion, they would lead to social
ism-or to complete government con-
troll and operation OF every field Of
activity. Not because this was par
ticularly desired by the President, but
because his policies would tend to take
the chief incentive. the desire for profit,
out OF such ventures, while not at the
same time decreasing the possibility
OF losses.
All OF which makes the present re-
start drive for more rapid expan-
sion Of private business the more In
teresting.
Actually, this writer believes the
whole Importance OF the appeal will
be enormously exaggerated. Important
conservative Democrats have been
saying for months that the President
would find his control of industry and
other liberal ideas impractical and
would abandon them. They have been
basing their optimism ON that assur-
ance. They will interpret the appeals
about to be made as a sure indica-,
ton that they are right. Actually the
appeals will mean no such thing, The
President has no thought OF abandon
Ing his control OF industry ideas.
tCopyriSht)--wNU Service