Evening star., 1938-01-30
Available Business Advice
Seen of Great Aid to New Deal
President Should Profit by Councils Experience
if Handicaps of Personalities and
Policies Can Be Overcome

Requisite No. /: The council should be
equipped with an appropriate stan 50
that it can study-from its own viewpoint
the facts available in the Government and
in private research organizations and in
trade and industry themselves, and draw
its own conclusions as to the policy wisest
in the interests of all.
Requisite No. 2: The council should be
managed and represented by q man who
is both an able administrator and one who
enjoys the Presidents complete confidence
and who will command as we'll the trust
OF business, labor, agriculture and the
consuming public
Requisite No. 3: There must be displayed
real willingness on the part of the
President to give careful and sincere at
tention to the mature recommendations Of
the new body. Not only must he him.
self know that he is doing 50. but the
country as we'll must feel sure of it.
Requisite No. 4: Congress and the peo-
ple-including all the groups represented in
the advisory body-must agree to abide BY
the decisions worked out through co-opera-
tion between the President and the council.
long enough to give the scheme fair trial.
Requisite No. S: The members of the ad-
vlsory council must be willing at all times
to subordinate self-interest to the public
welfare. There should be no thought by
the business, labor or other component
groups OF using the advisory council Is
lobby organization to get more than their
proper due
That any such agency as the proposed
advisory group can plan wisely enough to
avoid major or even intermediate swings In
the business cycle would be too much to
expect. But there is certainly something
to be said for an attempt to substitute
degree of harmony for discord, uncertainty
and mutual suspicion.
Many Leaders Included.
Lest the impression be given that the
B. A. c. has never amounted to anything.
1t should be noted that many prominent
men have devoted time and expense TO its
activities. Its rotating membership has in
cluded such business leaders as Walter S.
Clifford. w. c. Teagle, Lew Hahn, Gen. r. E.
Wood. A. P. Sloan. jr.; Gerard Swope,
Pierre du Pont. Henry l. Hartman, vii.
liam A. Hartman Fred l. Kent, Alexander
Legge, Thomas H. McInnerny, James H.
Rand. jr.; Myron c. Taylor, Clay Williams.
In its efforts to cooperate with the Gov
ernment the B. A. c. has studied many
problems suggested by the Government or
by the councils own amembers. Such
have been the activities of the Commerce
Department in serving business, the prob
lens raised during NJ r. A. and business
problems involving Government depart.
ments other than the Commerce Depart.
ment.
Specific subjects studied by B. A. c. COM
mittees have included unfair trade prac-
tices decentralization of industry, indus
trial relations. statistical reporting and uni
form accounting. international trade rela.
tions. needs Of small industry, fisheries,
corporation reports to stockholders, waste
in distribution, departmental activities,
housing, public works. social legislation,
accident prevention, patent procedure,
monetary policy and population trends
If it accomplished nothing more than
continuous interchange of IDEAS a give
and take Of thoughts, an economic advis-
ory body such as President Roosevelt has
suggested would be an excellent addition
to our public equipment. Such a group
should be privately financed by the busi-
ness. labor, transportation, finance and
other groups concerned It should in
clude as representatives of each group men
or women who are literally leaders in their
several lines of activity, who command q
following among their fellows
This council should not be created as
an emergency body. and it should not be
expected to produce miracles. Its atten-
ton should be devoted to fundamental
long-range problems. Recognizing the in
evitability of change and improvement in
social conditions, it should also be reconciled
to the great advantage Of gradualness
Not only should these presidential ad-
visers be in position to convey their views
to the President and each other; they should
also study sympathetically the problems Of
each other and of the President, and he
should make it point, not merely to listen,
but to explain.
If system could be evolved under
which, following meetings between the
President and this new council, there
would be issued joint statements Of
objectives and methods, statements which
would in a word lay down the rules
OF the game for reasonable time to come
the country would be taking very long
step toward dispelling the pail of reciprocal!
distrust which still depresses the United
States.