The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-02-03
ECoNoMIC HIGHLIGHTs

ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS
Up to recently, many administra-
ton spokesman attempted to mini
mize the extent and the conse-
quences of the present slump In bus
mess. Now those efforts seem to
have been abandoned. The White
House, no less than congress, is Civ
ing almost all its attention to the
causes of the abrupt reverses of the
recovery movement.
A telling sign is the series of con-
ferences Mr.. Roosevelt has been
holding with business leaders. So
far, these talks have apparently
produced little or nothing, but they
are important as an example of the
trend. The President is giving much
more attention to the opinions Of
business than he did during the
days when his administration had
clear sailing under frightening eco
nomic skies. This does not mean
that he is going to do what business
wants. It does mean, so far as any,
one can see, that he and his Off
cial advisors are worried and won
dering. ..-Fsi
At first, the Presidential confer
ences were naturally held with men
representing the biggest kind Of
business as Sloan of General
Motors, Young of General Electric,
Weir of the Weirton Steel Com
pany. Now, according to an an
nouncement Of January 81, small
business men, at their own insist
ence, are to participate in the talks
on economic problems. White House
aides explain that there has been
veritable flood Of letters from little
business men asking that repre-
sentatives of their group be consult
ed, and the President has issued in
structions that smaller corporation
officials be selected at random from
the letters and invited to the White
House.
All Of these conferences are ap-
parently a prelude to an idea which
the President, according to his Sec
retaries, has been working on for
some time. The plan he has in mind
calls for the creation of national
economic council, made up Of rep
resentatives of all groups and all
shades of opinion, who will be asked
to prepare reports designed to guide
Presidential action and policies.
This council would include men
from big business, little business,
agriculture, labor, investor groups,
consumers, transportation and all
other important elements in our ma
tional life.
In theory, such a council is an adj
mirable concept, and in accord with
the basic tenet of democratic gov
ernment-it would provide an op-
portunity for meeting Of minds,
where fact would be pitted against
fact, and differences would be re-
conciled through logical compro-
mise. But in actual practice, as
hard-headed observers have point
ed out, the chance of such q coun-
Gil getting anywhere is very dubious.
There are points of view so COM
pletely opposed that it would OBJ
viously be a miracle for the inter-
tested parties to adjust them be-
tween themselves. However, the
council is still in the planning
stage, and what it produces will only
be decided If, as and when it is
created.
The main thing is that the Execu-
tive is at last definitely concerned
with business conditions. It is ap-
parent that he Is not sure Of what
course to take, which accounts for
acts and statements which circum-
vent each other. Mr.. Roosevelt is
also taking much gentler hand
with congress, which is no longer
docile to White House control. No
one knows what will come of all
this-it does seem certain that the
next six or twelve months will be
of great moment to the course of
American history. ~... ~