Evening star., 1935-05-03
Roosevelt and Business.

The United States Chamber of
Commerce through series of reso-
lutions adopted yesterday seriously
challenged the Presidents legislative
program. which includes a two-year
extension of the N. r. A., the passage
of the economic security bill and the
banking bill and the enactment of the
withholding company bill affecting
public utilities. It was perhaps the
most definite break with the New Deal
administration so far made by the or
ganization representing business in a
national way. In large measure it
voiced the desire of many business
men to have the hand of the Gov
eminent lifted from back of business.
II business is to be built up in this
country-which means recovery in the
sense that jobs will be plentiful and
destitution reduced to a minimum-it
must be built up by business. 1t can
not be rebuilt by government. When
government enters business, then pri-
vate business withers. If 1t is the
desire of the American people to have
their Government the big business of
the future, that is something else. 1t
Is entirely foreign to the desires of
the rcor,1o ~,
Business itself is not unit, how
ever. in its attitude toward the Presi-
dents policies. A clear demonstration
of this division of sentiment is found
in the fact that nearly thirty business
leaders visited the President at the
White House a few hours after the
United States Chamber of Commerce
had in resolutions attacked the Roose-
welt program. It is true that these
business men are members of the
Business Advisory Council of the De-
partment of Commerce. They are also
important figures in the Chamber of
Commerce, including the retiring pres
ident of that organization, Henry I.
Hartman of Boston. They are re-
ported to have sided with the Presi-
dent in his social security program and
to have given some support to his de-
sire to continue the N. r. A.
in pretty much its present form.
The President invited these leading
business men to the White House, it is
also reported, thereby calling immedi-
ate attention to the fact that business is
not unit in opposing these New Deal
measures. despite the majority action
of the Chamber of Commerce.
While the President and business
leaders were quarreling on the one
side and making friends on the other.
the political manager of the Roose-
welt administration was making a
significant statement to the press.
Postmaster General James A. Farley,
chairman of the Democratic National
Committee, announced that the Glib
erals" will support President Roose-
welt In the coming campaign-that
the appeal of the administration
will be made to the plain" people.
He predicted that the Republicans
will nominate a conservative and
that the President will triumph in
the election. From other high Demo-
cratic sources came the prediction
that big business will oppose the
President, as it did In 1882.
At least part of business-perhaps
q large part. including certain big
businesses-is favorable to the con-
tinuation of the N. R. A. as it is, or
with slight notifications. It is in this
connection that the apparent schism
in business in its attitude toward the
administration has developed. How
ever. If the N. r. A. is to be shorn
Of the privilege of ignoring the anti
trust laws and of price fixing, while
1t still continues the operation of
section Ia. the collective bargain
ing clause of the act, there may be
still further shuffling of allegiances.