Evening star., 1937-10-13

mendations as to work of this kind
to be done in their particular re-
gions. The Congress will, Of course,
determine the projects to be Sc
lected within the budget limits.
Must Have
Goth Century Machinery.
To carry out any twentieth CEN
tury program we must give the ex-
ecutive branch of the Government
twentieth-century machinery to
work with. recognize that demo-
cratic processes are necessarily and
rightly slower than dictatorial
processes. But refuse to believe
that democratic processes need be
dangerously slow.
For many years We have all
known that the executive and ad-
ministrative departments are a
higgledy piggledy patchwork of
duplicate responsibilities and over
tapping powers. The reorganization
OF Government machinery which I
proposed to the Congress last VIM
ter does not conflict with the prin-
ciple of the democratic process, as
some people say. 1t only makes
that process work more efficiently,
On my recent trip many people
have talked to me about the mil
lions of men and women and chill
dren who still work at insufficient
wages and overlong hours.
American industry has searched
the outside world to find new mar
kets-but it can create on its very
doorstep the biggest and most per-
manent market it has ever had. It
needs the reduction of trade bar
riers to improve its foreign markets,
but it should not overlook the
chance to reduce the domestic trade
barrier right here-right away
without waiting for any treaty. A
few more dollars week in wages, a
better distribution OF jobs with a
shorter working day will almost
overnight make millions Of our
lowest-paid workers actual buyers
OF billions of dollars of industrial
ana farm products. That increased
volume of sales ought 10 lessen
other cost of production so much
that even a considerable increase
in labor costs can be absorbed with
out imposing higher prices on the
consumer.
l am a firm believer in fully ade-
quate pay for all labor. But right
now I am most greatly concerned
IN increasing the pay Of the lowest
paid labor-those who are our most
numerous consuming group but who
today do not make enough to main
tain a decent standard of living or
to buy food, clothes and other ar
tlcles necessary to keep our facto-
ries and farms fully running.
Farsighted Business
Men Agree With Policy.
Farsighted business men already
understand and agree with this pol
icy. They agree also that no one
section Of the country can perma-
nently benefit itself, or the rest of
the country, by maintaining stand
ards of wages and hours far in
ferior to other sections of the coun-
try
Most business men, big and little.
know that their Government
neither wants to put them out OF
business nor to prevent them from
- earning decent profit. In spite
OF the alarms of few who seek to
regain control OF American life,
most business men, big and little.
know that their Government is try
ing to make property more secure
than ever before by giving every
family a real chance to have a
property stake in the Nation.
Whatever danger there may be
to the property and profits of the
many. if theye be any danger, comes
not from governments attitude to-
ward business but from restraints
now imposed upon business by pri-
vate monopolies and financial oil
garchies. The average business
man knows that a high cost of
living is great deterrent to busi-
ness and that business prosperity
depends much upon a low price
policy which encourages the widest
possible consumption. AS one Of the
countrys leading economists re-
Gently said-"the continuance of
business recovery in the United
States depends far more upon bus
mess policies, business pricing pol
lcies, than it does on anything that
may be done, or not done, in Wash
ington."
Our competitive system is not al
together competitive. Anybody who
buys any large quantity of manu-
factured goods knows this, whether
it be the Government or an individ-
ual buyer. We have antitrust laws,
to be sure. but they have not been
adequate to check the growth of
many monopolies. Whether or not
they might have been adequate
originally, Interpretation by the
courts and the difficulties and de-
lays OF legal procedure have now
definitely limited their effective
ness.
We are already studying how to
strengthen our antitrust laws in
order to end monopoly-not to hurt
but to free legitimate business.
I have touched briefly on thesee
important subjects, which, taken
together, make a program for the
immediate future. To attain 1t, leg
islation is necessary.
Events Outside
Borders May Affect Plans.
AS we plan today for the'creation
Of ever higher standards Of living
for the people of the United States,
we are aware that our plans may
be most seriously affected by events
In the world outside our borders.
BY series Of trade agreements,
we have been attempting to re-
create the trade Of the world which
plays 50 important . part In our
domestic prosperity; but We know
that II the world outside our bor-
ders falls into the chaos Of war.