Evening star., 1935-10-31
BUSINESS HELD
UNABLE TO ASSIST
Restrictive Legislation Pre-.
vents Meeting of Leaders
to Discuss Problems.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

ind out from the business men who
call on him just why. with production
levels up, there is lag In pay roll
totals and Unemployment Is destined
to bring out little that will be Of
any practical value to him.
For the truth Is the words "Ameri-
can business" do not describe any
cohesive group which can either con-
troll itself or express itself. When the
President says. for instance. that the
Government, in trying to put 3,500.000
persons to work-which 1t hasn't yet
done, of course-is doing its share,
and that industry. which Is supposed
to put another $500, 900 men to work,
isn't doing its part, the inference Is
that there exists some business con-
troll which can function in the same
direct way that the Government itself
does.
Actually, business Is prevented from
acting in concert. 1t cannot even
have a meeting of the heads of diff
ferent industries to discuss the very
questions Mr.. Roosevelt asks without
running afoul of the Sherman anti
trust laws and the Clayton anti-mon-
nopoly laws.
Business Is Restrained.
Under the system of governmental
interference which has been carried
on, not only under Mr.. Roosevelt's
administration, but under the pre-
ceding Republican administrations,
business is subject to plenty Of mega
tive restraints and interferences. but
rarely is given any affirmative powers
to help itself get co-ordinated.
The President is concerned because,
while production levels are higher,
there is no corresponding increase IN
employment totals. But only last
week, he told the American people
over the radio that there had been
material increase in employment,
that recovery was on the way, that
nobody should think 1t was mere
chance and that he had planned
it that way"
The President is still obsessed with
the notion that the Government Of
the United States exists for the pur-
pose of exercising controlled econ
omy'' and that the business and in
dustrial mechanism can be directed,
or managed, or Influenced by sug-
gestions, orders, advice or instructions
from some bureau or department In
Washington.
Business men have filed many
thousands of words in comprehensive
reports telling Mr.. Roosevelt exactly
what are the impediments to greater
production and Unemployment. The
so-called Roper council has made
these reports and there have been
letters galore from important busi-
ness men. But there is nothing on
record to show that Mr.. Roosevelt
ever accepted the main precepts OF
the business viewpoint.
Business Has Opinion.
So far as there is any crystalliza-
ton of business opinion at all, 1t
comes down to these very simple
statements:
/. There Is need for competitive
system, in which, subject only to the
rules of fairness, and the codes Of
honesty and the stipulation that there
shall be no monopolies or trusts, free
dom to produce goods efficiently and
freedom to hire and fire workmen
on their merit shall be assured.
2. The Government should not in
terfere with the opportunity Of busi-
nesses to get new capital with which
to rebuild plants and improve their
production processes. The securities
exchange act contains many such
restrictions which the New Deal Is
only just now beginning to hint may
be removed. But the restrictions
we're barriers two years ago and a
year ago and are still delaying re-
employment.
8. The punitive methods Of the ad-
ministration as respects the thrifty
and the successful men in business
and the uneconomic handling Of the
tax problem, plus the continuance OF
heavy Government deficits due to In
efficiency and waste are discouraging
| to business morale.
4. Business has made its most rapid
strides since the Supreme Court OF
the United States upheld constitution
al rights and prevented planned econ
omy" under the N. r. A. from break
ing down owner management OF
American businesses and substituting
therefor management by Government
bureaucracy. Conversely, every as
surance that the profit and loss sys-
tenn will be permitted to function,
that business properties will not be
confiscated or disintegrated by tax
measures which are inequitable or by
methods that are outside the due
process Of law must be given in order
to encourage business revival.
The President for long time has
refused to accept any thesis except
that of controlled economy. He has
leaned more and more toward Govern
ment control of such important factors
as private credit and labor relations
and has only recently shown a tend
ency, by means of the breathing
spell" assurance, to give business q
chance to develop in natural ways.
The inquiries made by the President
of business men are, therefore,
significant perhaps Of q new approach,
q willingness to study the facts, but
the discouraging part is that the
White House still seeks to give the
impression that business Is organized
to accept the responsibility now being
placed upon it as the Government
passes the buck, so to speak. It may
i be that this Is the forerunner Of a
campaign for controlled economy by
means Of a constitutional amendment
on the theory that business had its
chance and failed" q sentiment too
| often expressed by New Dealers who
are eager for Sociahstic or Fascistic
experiments In Government control Of
business.
| (Copyright. 1850