Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-05-14
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""" again has claShed
Struggle with the New Deal,
and again the can
nonadlng by business added nothing.
AUS attacks apparently bothered the
new deal not at all, for the New Deal
mas proceeded after the manner of the
mastiff trotting along without concern
while a poodle barked and snarled.
Business made no overtures for COM
promise with the New Deal and New
Deal spokesman were not Fastening
TO make peace with business leaders.
Altogether, there was not the slight
est indication given that there will
ever be peace between the two ele-
ments of economic thought.
The one thing that impressed me
about the recent annual meeting here
OF the chamber of commerce was the
solidarity of business in its opposi-
ton to general New Deal principles.
mat was to be expected but it has not
always been the case. In DAYS past.
there were many business groups and
individuals who adhered to the New
Deal and vainly tried to work out an
understanding with the administration.
AT this annual meeting, however, there
was not the slightest effort made on
the part Of business to accomplish any
arrangement whereby business and
the administration would work to-
gether.
This can mean only one thing: Pres
ident Roosevelt is going into his cam
paign for reelection without the sup
port Of business interests except
where, in particular lines, benefit has
accrued incidentally to specific bust
nesses.
One would think that such a condi-
ton would constitute threat against
the Presidents reelection. Such ap-
pears not to be the case, however, be-
cause of the particular type of campaign
which Mr.. Roosevelt and his political
commander in chief, Postmaster Gen.
eral Farley, are making. The Presi-
dents recent political speeches have
made 1t quite clear that he is seeking
support wholly from the agricultural
and labor segments of our voters. His
appeals are quite open and frank and
they are drawing considerable criti-
cism because it is held they constitute
the initiation of class struggle in this
country. Whatever the reason for the
Presidents course, 1t remains as fact
that he is very busy cultivating voters
who have suffered most in the depres-
sion.
When I reported above that business
came off second best in its fresh as
sault on the New
Makes Good Deal, / did not mean
Fight to imply that it had
not made a vigorous
fight. 1t probably gained some ground
in getting before the country its side
of the story, a phase Of our national
situation which has not been as fully
advertised to the country as have the
activities and accomplishments of the
New Deal. The story of the losses suf-
fered by business actually is not a
great deal different from that of the
individual, and many businesses are
existing on hand-to-mouth basis Just
as is the case with thousands of in
dividuals Because business, in our
minds eye, at least, is larger than an
individual, political demagogues regard
1t as fair game and for that reason,
am inclined to believe, business has
not had a fair chance on the part of
most Of us when considering national
problems
On the other hand, business has
many units within the whole that have
not played fair. There are a great
many corporations that are guilty of
plain oppression, even to the extent of
fraud and corruption of business meth
DDS. For the crookedness of this seq
ment, all business has been blamed by
the New Deal. This is not equity. The
unhappy part of 1t all is that unless
all business stands together, good, bad
and in-between, it can get nowhere at
all in defense of its legitimate rights.
There is, therefore, a wholly natural
and yet quite unfair result emanating
| from this condition. New Deal plan
ners, in their efforts to catch the
crooks, have punished legitimate bust
ness far too much If one is to accept
even partially the public statements
and the private expressions of the
business men who attended the annual
meeting of the chamber of commerce.
This ought not to be and l think that
legitimate business has just ground for
complaint on this score.
So, as the situation now stands,
believe 1t can be said in all fairness
that neither side in this battle between
the New Deal and business comes into
court with entirely clean hands. Bust
ness has its cancerous sores. The New
deal has its nitwits and theorists who
know nothing about practical econom-
les. The result of this is plainly seen,
and 1t becomes more and more appar-
ent that Mr. Roosevelt cannot accom-
plish his objective of complete recov-
ery until he directs some Of his sub
ordinates to put their feet on the
ground. Indeed, there are some OF the
New Deal subOrdlnates who ought to
he tossed bodily into the street, just
| Aho.o ora Soma husinpss men who