Evening star., 1936-02-09

tollo,oing story.
BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, February 8.-Howard
Scott, lanky director in chief Of the
technocrats, today thinks he is per-
haps the happiest of any Of the lead
ers of contemporary groups which
seek to conduct the populace into
their particular concepts of govern
mental utopia.
Why?
well, for one thing" he said, eve
have come to the point where we
don't give a damn what anybody
says about us. We're not interested
in whether anybody likes us or not.
Just returned from tour that took
him through Canada and the United
States Pacific Coast, Scott said things
were indeed looking up for the tech
nocrats, although he wouldn't tel
how many converts or members were
| now enrolled under his banner
Thousands" he said, and pointed Out
that technocracy really wouldn't be
technocracy until everybody was in it
I'VE. of course, never have pro-
posed to run any political party. Ano
that's another reason why we tnc
ourselves in such a happy position
| There's such a conflict of forces II
our country today that all they tenc
to DO is to disillusion the people
further.
Would Abolish Parties.
"Now the Townsend plan is edu-
cationally efficacious. 1t tends to dis
illusion the public. So do the Liberty
League and the political parties, while
we contentedly advocate an absence
of any or all political parties, substi-
tutine a government by technicians
I'VE don't need ballots, although
they might be used as means Of
transition from our present form ol
government. Can't tell yet about that
But it comes down to this. If we
are correct in our theory then we
can rest our case. The rest will work
itself out in time"
Scott, former Columbia professor
defined technocracy as "a design oi
state for the conduct of human affairs
not based on class conduct or group
advantages. Rather, on a scientific
basis. chronological control would be
substituted for a political adminiStra-
ton so that the most efficient and
continuous operation of all equipment
in production and distribution Of al
goods and services would result
Through this security and pur-
chasing power and public health
would be made economic certainties
to all citizens"
In everyday language. he explained
this would mean roughly that every
body would be divided up into the 81
or 100 functional processes Of tht
country. Thus physicians, nurses, lab
oratory technicians and even the door
men at hospitals would be placed il
the health technate." And so or
for the other processes.
Then a representative of each o.
the functional processes" would be
a member of a continental control
which would enact legislation for the
whole.
Similar to Congress?
Continental Control.
mo. indeed" said Scott Our pres
ent Congress is not responsible foI
the enactment of its own legislation
The continental control would be, you
see. Therefore it would be the only
governmental body to have both re-
sponsibility and authority. They'd
have to be accurate or else"
Currency as it is known today woulc
be non-existent. Rather. everybody
would work for certificates of work
hours These. dated, would have tc
be spent within a certain time Thu:
there would be no need for taxes, life
insurance or burglaries, he said.
I'VE have found" he said. that or
the basis of the 1880 census figure.
each adult between the ages of 2:
and Is would have to work but 66(
hours year IN order to run the coun.
try. That means just 165 days yeal
of four-hour days"
| Why is it not so now?
"Moronic inefficiency," he said
Look, there are no less than $780,.
900 people at present holding dowr
alleged Jobs in the 10000 govern.
mental units in the country, Federal
State, county, municipal and so on.
The certificates of work hour.
would be on-transferable between in.
dividuals, therefore, according to Scott
you'd have to spend what you earned
Hence no vast accumulations oi
wealth. Hence no evil, if money l.
the root of all evil.
| Suppose you wanted to travel?
Certificates for Travel.
That could be arranged by ex
changing work certificates for foreign
currency through the government,
Scott said. "And foreign trade ,voulc
be strictly barter-just as it IS row
with the gold standard all si4ot t.
blaZeS. We'd just import what W,
couldn't make here"
All in all, Scott feels, people are be-
ginning to understand technocracy
better than they used to when it wa.
first expounded.
The technocrats even have junior
organizations, called Monads, for those
| between the ages of IS and 81.
If they can understand it, it mus
be simple, don't you think?" sale
Scott.
Although generally pleased with the
way technocracy has been going OF
late, Scott can still be annoyed. That's
by being referred to as a radical.
"Technocracy," he said, has no
radical attitude"