Evening star., 1935-09-20
ROPER SAYS GAINS
REFUTE CRITICS
Forum Speaker SCOTS at
Theory That Reforms
Handicapped Trade.

Speaking in the National Radio
Forum, arranged by The Star, and
carried over a Nationwide network
of the National Broadcasting Co.,
Roper said:
mo amount of generalized criti-
ciSm from any source can challenge
. successfully the actual and factual
picture of recovery in terms of the
recorded statistical measurements"
The argument OF those VINO, as ne
said, take the peculiarly inconsistent
stand that business has shown these
striking improvements in spite OF
what the administration has done
rather than because of what 1t has
done" was characterized by Roper
as ridiculous.
las a matter of unbiased and con-
crete appraisal" he continued, The
various steps of economic and social
recovery have been so precisely COIN
cident with the specific actions taken
by the administration that no other
conclusion is possible, but that busl-
ness recovery has resulted directly
from such effort"
Text of Secretary's Address.
The text of Secretary Roper's ad-
dress follows:
am grateful to Mr.. Kuhn for his
Invitation which makes it possible
for me to join again in program
sponsored by the National Radio
Forum. On several occasions since
March, 1888, Mr.. Kuhn has asked
me to bring to this forum family my
appraisal of various aspects of the
Roosevelt administration program.
He has requested me to present to-
night the business picture as it is
today, its comparison with the pic
ture of 1888, with a discussion of the
factors responsible for the changes
which have taken place in the past
80 months.
At the outset, I wish to point out
that I realize the difficulty which the
average citizen faces In keeping pace
with the major economic trends of
these rapidly changing times and in
properly interpreting these trends as
. related to legislative measures and
administrative procedures initiated to
attain recovery objectives. I fur
ther realize the difficulty that many
naturally encounter in interpreting
the vital Importance of eliminating
the evils and abuses largely responsible
for depression conditions.
Many, also may not readily see
the wisdom of initiating and main
tanning stabilizing factors to assure
the necessary continuity of the re-
covery that We have thus far gained
and to provide protection against an
other economic catastrophe. Recently
q business man visiting my Office told
me that Notwithstanding the fact that
he subscribed to three statistical and
analytical services, he found it ex-
ceedingly difficult to comprehend the
full economic picture of the country
with proper interpretative accuracy.
In view of this illustrative case. it
Is not surprising that the average
person, largely restricted in his read
ing to the daily newspaper, a maga-
zine or two each month and an oc-
casional book, encounters difficulty in
striking off a balance sheet of the
national assets and liabilities in our
economic situation so as to arrive at
the true net worth of existing con-
ditions Accountants and bankers are
constantly streSsing the necessity of
getting behind the balance sheet"
to discern the important fundamental
conditions not revealed by the figures
OF the balance sheet.
If we could secure a true and cor
of 1I,1
have taken place in the United States
since March 4, 1888, we must not
become entangled in the meshes of
one narrow field Of Interpretation.
Rather, We need to realize that sta
tistics, however indicative, do not fully
measure the aggregate collection of
factors to be considered in a COM
prehensive assessment of human
needs.
Yes, my friends. there are funda-
mental values that figures do not and
cannot express.
Intangible Factors Stressed.
The great majority of people, busily
engaged in the daily necessity of max
ing a living, immersed in the prob
lens and activities within the cir
cumference Of their lives, frequently
miss the changes in relationships
gradually taking place. The extensive
improvements recorded by the yard
sticks of progress, particularly the
values Of intangible factors behind
the figures on the national balance
sheet, are too likely to be overlooked.
shall be gratified if in the brief
time available tonight I can be of
some assistance to my listeners in
presenting for them a broader and
clearer picture of what has happened
In business and industry since March.
1893.
We have all observed that as we
live in daily contact with growing
youngsters we do not readily discern
the changes that are taking place in
the youngsters physical and mental
characteristics, even over a period of
several months. But whenever after
such daily contacts one does not see
the children for a period of several
months these changes are then re-
markably noticeable. Precisely this
same thing is true with respect to
economic and social conditions and
their relationship to the vaster scale
of human affairs Oftentimes it has
taken the perspective of history to
delneate clearly the underlying
changes that were taking place
throughout an entire era of human
affairs, changes unnoticed, for the
most part, by those who were living in
that era and which, if discerned at all,
were seen but dimly and in vague
and indefinite outline
In the light Of this accepted expert
ence, perhaps the best way to get some
semblance Of reasonable perspective
upon what has transpired in business
and industry since the Inauguration
Of President Roosevelt is to approach
1t through method of objective con-
trast.
~ rao,,ro tI,;c OF o~J