Evening star., 1934-02-27
suffer and to protect the rich 10 they

suffer and to protect the rich 10 they
could afford to be charitable.
So now perhaps the New Dealers
are entitled to take full credit for re-
covery: and In the days Of reviving
business are entitled to claim that the
real way to bring back and to main
tain prosperity Is to make sure that
the great masses Of the people are
employed at good wages. II we make
that the primary object Of business
for few years. perhaps even stock
broker or bond statesmen may learn
that the security and earning power
Of capital rests entirely upon the Sc
curity and earning power of labor.
A fair recording OF the achieve
ments of the N. r. A. is principally
important because the permanence of
our recovery will depend largely on
our ability to distinguish between the
constructive and destructive forces in
our political economy. If We can no
longer rely solely upon individual
greed and self-service to advance the
general welfare, and If We have de-
veloped in the Recovery Administra-
ton new agencies Of human co-opera.
ton which may be moved somewhat
by human intelligence as we'll as by
swinish emotions. it Is highly desirable
for us to realize the full measure Of
our progress and not to belittle q great
economic gain by calling 1t only 4
spiritual gain.
to have An entire nation start dis
cussing and enforcing codes Of fair
competition. 1t is a spiritual advance
to eliminate the commercial labor of
little children and to discourage the
overworking and underpaying Of ma
ture men and women. It is spiritual
advance to reduce business fraud and
trickery and to protect honest. public
spirited business men from unscrupu-
lously selfish competitors.
1t is generally admitted that spir-
itual advances along these lines have
been brought about by the N. r. A.,
and some of its critics condescend-
ingly admit that it will be desirable
in the future to continue this advance
SO far as may be possible without
making business unattractive to Wig
orOus, red-blooded men who do not
enjoy any spiritual ideals that inter-
fere with practical money-making.
Spiritual Value By-Product.
1t may be helpful to explain to
these hard-headed citizens that the
recovery program was devised pri-
marily for its economic value and
that its spiritual value is largely q by
product Of the fact that honesty and
public service are often good business
policies. At the same time 1t may be
well to point out that one great reason
for popular support of the N. r. A.
has been the conviction Of thousands
Of men in every walk OF life that
while they were striving to solve the
pressing problem Of earning q liveli-
hood and meeting their personal OBJ
legations, they were at the same time
serving as soldiers of the common
good in a cause worthy of all their
energy and devotion.
We have sought to avoid two dread
alternatives in the future of America,
to avoid a return to economic aAd to
avoid revolutionary concentration
of economic power under political au.
thority. We have sought to carry for
ward our traditions of self-government
from the field Of politics into the field
of business and to create mechanisms
for the lf-government of industry,
providing only that governmental su-
pervision which is essential to protect
the public interest.
In the public meetings which begin
tomorrow We open the doors to a pub.
lie review and criticism OF our pro-
gram. our methods and our objectives.
This should be valuable in the formu-
lation Of public opinion and to deter
mine the extent of public understand
ing of what We have tried to do.
Then upon March S we will begin
conference of those upon whom
must rest the development and ad-
ministration of the machineries of
cooperation which have been so
rapidly devised and so briefly tried.
Many mistakes in detail can be
readily corrected-but certain broad
lines of policy need extended con-
sideration and gradual determination
in the light-not of conjecture and
theory-but of actual results.
New Problems Faced.
Let me sketch these briefly.
At the outset we face new problems
of labor relations requiring new
methods Of adjustment. If there is
to be more planning and direction of
private enterprises to serve the needs
Of the people, there will be more
responsibilities and more opportunities
for organizations Of employers and Of
employees to counsel together and to