The Daily Alaska empire., 1938-02-03
GOVERNMENT. THE AGENCY OF
 BUSINESS

The clash between business and government continues to echo through the land Yesterday in Washington the echo grew to resoundng boom as hundreds of small business men met in conference with Secretary of Commerce Daniel C. Roper to talk about it. News dispatches report that were on to be heard that bedlam prevailed until the gath erg was broken up into small groups for more orderly discourse.
 Just what will come of these various conferences between government and business remains to be seen Based on the good old American principle Of permitting every to air his views they probably will at least accomplish the purpose of giving every one a chance to be heard. Perhaps from the tumult will emerge ideas worthy being put into execution, and undoubtedly there will come better under standing between business and government.
 One of the major things it may be hoped will be accomplished is revival of the fact that government and business are not two separate agencies. The crying trend seems be that business is one thing and government force working against it the iun- damentaI fact being entirely overlooked that gov- prnment is merely an agency of business. which in cudes all lines of endeavor set up by the people for general regulation of their existence. That agency is response to the majority will up by the majority of the people It isn't any bugaboo that has been wished upon us It is something of own concep- rion It is our government not somebody elses
 Secretary Roper, speaking recently before a com
 
 It is to be determined how far and how use TS3al governmental representation n indus v trial management can supplement present
 regulatory procedure to the advantage Of both #. government and industry and in this way w reaet oonstructiyely the obiectives of those who - weald % f.-.har f1d initiate governmental f- operation or goverrpnenta ownership and
 operation In this relation the effort of the
 government must be solely to prevent and
 deal with abuses.
 My faith is that the great majority of American business today is honor
 able as socially minded, statesmanke as < conscientious and as worthy any group Of
 citizens in this CT any other land This !, z jority should be continuously vigilant to con- es< vert or control those who ignore codes of far - conduct The consumer is the daily judge of ~T business standards and the public good must s~h therefore remain the life blood of business.
 The objective of President Roosevelt should
 be interpreted as a sincere effort to correct
 abuses and to mpart the greatest happiness
 to the greatest number. Certainly all desire that taxes be reduced to the lowest that ex- { z penses in government operations be tailed that the unemployed be afforded op-
 portt,nity to earn a living, that investors and
 consumers be protected and that the under
 privileged be assisted to a higher standard
 of living. To say that these objectives can- not be realized is to impeach the ability of
 the people to govern.
 That in a nutshell is the purpose of government to prevent deal with abuses and the will of the majority.
 If business will approach government its own agency not as a blight wished upon it from some unknown source the hurdle of misunderstanding will be cleared and We nation go ahead toward sensible adjustment of difficulties and proving