The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-06-17
POWERFUL PRIVATE CODES ONLY
SALVATION FOR SMALL RETAILERS,
JOHNSON WARNS GROCERS' FARLEY
Little Fellow Man Aided
the Most, Killed NRA,
He ThunderS.
5000 HEAR ADDRESS
Program Killed in Part by
DiSIoyaIty in Ranks,
He Asserts.

VlVal OF the naIlOn small
merchant is quick action in
adopting a powerful, private
code to take the place of the
outlawed NRA, Gen. Hugh S.
Johnson, fiery former NRA
head, told 5000 delegates at
tending the National Retail
Grocers Association conven-
ton in Murat Temple here to-
day.
Gen. johnson shouted that NRA
was killed lin part by disloyalty of
a very few within its ranks, who
we're not there to carry out its aims,
in part by lack of team-play and
cooperation in the government it,
self"
But most of ALL" the General ex-
claimed, and this is the ghastliest
paradox Of recent economic and po-
litical history, it was killed by the
charge that NRA oppressed and
ruined the little fellow, the indepen-
dent operator in business"
10000 Delegates Here
Gen. Johnson was the principal
speaker at the opening session of
the convention that has brought
over 10000 delegates and their
families to Indianapolis.
when I look back at the record
of the ruin of NRA," Gen. John
son asserted, Il try to be resigned
and philosophical about it, but that
is some chore because it was con-
temptible, crooked, cowardly and
inhuman Illustration of a great
movement for social justice, for eco
nomic decency and the common
principles of humanity and honor
that we all like to pretend, at least,
to prize.
Look at the damned thing now"
the General exclaimed. Preserved
as a scarcely palpitating corpse on
condition that it will do nothing to
affront the antitrust laws and the
Federal Trade Commission"
Little Man Aided, He Roars
He told of the fake prosperity
following the postwar depression.
"our worst instance of national in
sanity"
THE whole tendency of that time
was to wipe ont, as an institution,
the little fellow" the general said.
Thirty years ago there was one
independent business enterprise for
every 300 people, while now we have
one for every 900 people, a destruc-
ton of two or three, he said.
Under NRA bankruptcies OF
small businesses dropped to the very
lowest relative point of which we
have dependable record, and there
we're more small retailers in 1884
than in 1929" Gen. johnson de-
clared
He Points to the Record
"Why just look at the record" he
urged the grocers. Under the
Anti Trust acts and the Federal
Trade Commission, the wagon trail
stretches back over a dreary prairie
of 40 years, strewn white with the
bones or still putrid carcasses, Of
the murdered human economic in
dependence in this country-Whether
it was Of workers, or farmers, or
small business men, or 1 might add
lawyers, or doctors, or men in any
walk of life"
Under the Antitrust Acts and
the Federal Trade Commission,
practically the whole business Of
this country passed under the pos
session Of domination of fewer than
200 corporate groups of monstrous
power and wealth-14,000,0 win
ners of bread for no fewer than
100000 people lost their Jobs
100000 farmers passed to a condi-
ton of bare subsistence and now
NRA must do nothing to interfere
with the workings of that unholy
mess" the General continued.
HoSohS AAdTulng Era
Referring to depression days,
Gen. Johnson said:
Mr.. Harding came in to restore
normally. With him and his sue
cessors, we got lot of new things:
Prohibition, snow-snuffing. bootleg
ging, hi a cking, racketeering,
Florida-booming, installment buy
ing, mortgage magic, stock-market
gambling, funny financing, gang
government-official and unofficial
and astonishing era of monopoly
smashing or eating up small busi-
ness either through mergers, the de-
vice Of chain stores, or the use Of
tremendous financial power in great
groups to bludgeon small business to
death.
I'VE called it proudly-the new
economic era-depreSsion would
never come again universal
whoopee in business, government
and morals-both public and private
but not normalcy-only abnor-
malcy.
I'VE rugged up fine fake pros
perity based on export trade by
mortgaging everything we had and
lending enough billions to Europe
to pay their debt to us and the Ger
man reparations to all of them and
for our little snag of increased ex-
ports-all out Of our money-just
generally, like a rich and drunken
a.