Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1935-05-16

n aftermath OF the break he
tween the President and Big Bust
ness, as represented by the U. S
Chamber Of Commerce, was tn,
House resolution asking the Chic
Executive for a transcript OF hi
press conference in the course o
which Mr.. Roosevelt walloped tn,
trade organizations, asserting tina
these commercial groups often mis-
represent business sentiment and, IL
some instances, the sentiment of {
majority of their own members. Tht
request vas in no n mandatory
being made in order to get the Presi
dents remarks before the country
where the sponsors OF the resolution
think they will have good effect.
Press conferences are notoriously
"unquotable" except by specific auth
orization. They include many flip
pant, j~ocular and inconsequential re
marks. To make public a transcript
would advance the record to that OF
a public document, quotable from TOP
to bottom, and set a precedent In
future that might initiate against
the freedom of conversation, "off the
record" that often imparts valuable
background to White House news re
ports. Conceivably, there might be
an occasion when such a request
would prove extremely embarrassing
to any President
That Big Business, as represented
by the U. S. Chamber Of Commerce,
the National Association Of Manufac-
turers. and the American Bankers
Association, is against the admins
tration's program has been plain
enough to those who know. Com
bined, these organizations may be
taken as spokesman for large enter
prises in the field of industry, en-
ployers and bankers. The so-called
partnership, widely advertised last
fall, was only surface deep, although
the opinion in the country at large
was widespread that it was an un-
derstanding OF real meaning.
In the gloom of 1893 capital and
finance joined hands with labor and
others to vest great powers in the
Presidents hands. He was given an
ovation when he addressed the
Chamber Of Commerce DIN 1888. The
next year the welcome was not so
spontaneous, and there were under
currents OF hostility to the reform
program This came to light, just be-
fore the elections Of 1884, when the
directors Of the organization, in an
aggressive move, practically demand
ed a pledge from the President to
balance the budget and stabilize the
dollar. Mr.. Roosevelt, unable to do
either, ignored the move, and regard
ed the election result as positively
sustaining his position
Asa
After being snubbed by the Presi-
Dental silence In October, the guild
ing forces OF the U. s. Chamber Of
Commerce, taking note Of the cleo
ton results, met to state that the
Presidential utterances encouraged
the belief that Mr.. Roosevelt was re-
ceptive TO suggestions for Tpromo-
tion Of the common welfare" and
there vas some reference to the ar
rival of recovery. This year, however,
the pent-up feelings Of the Chamber
were expressed, voicing opposition
to most Of the proposed legislation
advocated by THE administration.
The bankers association, Just be-
fore the election last fall, managed
to proffer an olive branch to the
White House and the President at
tended a session of the convention,
where he heard a Morgan banker
say that no reasonable person could
expect the specific pledges requested
month before. Mr.. Roosevelt, In re-
ply, appealed for an "a1l-American
recovery team" and was at peace
officially with the bankers. Today
the administration banking bill is
being opposed by the organization.
The National Association Of Manu-
facturers, however, in December,
1884, called a business conference
of leaders at White Sulphur
Springs, where alarm and anger were
noted, especially at the famous plan
ming commissions report about
spending los billions on work relief
in twenty years. However, no harsh
ness appeared in the resolutions
making suggestions to the President |
These opposed the relief supervis. |
ion by political power, urged that
private agencies conduct the dole,
deplored work relief, asked a bal
anced budget by 1887, that social
security legislation be deferred, that
the government relinQuish credit con-
troll, that the 1893 Securities Act be
modified and that, If work relief be-
gan, that lower than prevailing
be paid. |
Most of the suggestions were not
to the President, and |
there was marked GOODNESS and non
chalance In their reception, followed
by open attack upon the document
by administration leaders. The Pres
Ident admitted that he had five or
six such petitions to read and would
try to read them on the following
Sunday. This was too much for the
Big Business crowd and hostility to
reform measures mounted In
The Chamber Of Commerce member
ship, so that Mr. Hartman, It's re-
firing president, who had been in
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