Evening star., 1938-01-30
BY HERBERT NJ. BRATTER.

BY HERBERT NJ. BRATTER.
president ROOSEVELT is said to
. be searching re I'm for non-statutory
L group Of Is persons to advise him
IN formulating economic policy. This
group is to represent all component ele-
ments OF the national economy Senator
Buckley, among others. indorses this idea.
Whether all his fellow members of Con-
gress will agree is doubtful, since many feel
tnat congress should be the administra-
tons adviser in such matters as economic
planning.
FORMATION of planning council would
not be completely new experience in this
administration. The Business Advisory
Council has existed since 1893, although.
unfortunately, few people are familiar with
Its f1ve-year record
Secretary Roper had a really good idea
when he suggested to the Chamber of Com
merce that businessmen form a body to
ADVISE the Commerce Department on policy.
Business quickly responded in a public
spirited way and rotating body OF indus
trialists and merchants have devoted time
and energy to the resultant Business Ad-
visory Council. Yet, despite all good in
tentions that body has proven something
Of a dud
Just why this is so it is impossible for the
stranger to find out at the councils head
quarters in top-hoor suite of the Commerce
Department Building. That office MAIN
tains almost complete reserve in discussing
Tor publication its successes and failures.
1nquirers are politely referred to informa-
ton contained in past press releases of the
Commerce Department But these do not
tell the full story.
Publicity Shyness.
Not only the business members of the
Business Advisory Council but also the
Government department concerned have at
times exhibited publicity shyness on mat
ters relating to the B. A. c. This semi
transparent veil of secrecy is, on the Gov
ernment's part to be explained by political
considerations. The President has always
shown considerable distrust of the motives
Of individual "big business" men, distrust
which inevitably influenced the Secretary
Of Commerce. Naturally the latter has
avoided, where possible, publishing views
running counter to the New Deals pub
lished attitude on questions like labor rela-
tons.
Moreover, there probably has been ten
dency on the part of some Of the business
members Of the B. A. c. to avoid personal
responsibility for the expression Of views Of
the majority members thereof which might
be unpalatable to those minority members
companies and associates.
In theory the B. A. c. was pipe line for
recommendations from industry to the
Government This pipe line might have
done much to oil the process Of regulation
and reform. Actually. only part of the
lavish flow of suggestions has emerged at
the White House terminal of the pipe, and
much valuable oil has run off into the un-
productive sands of politics.
If the pipe line is to be fully effective it
should carry a flow of views and consulta-
tions in both directions. It is not enough
that the Government learn the reaction of
business to policies already adopted. 1t
might profitably use the council as means
of sounding out in advance the reaction Of
interests to be affected by plans being for
mulated. The pipe line might be the means
Of smoothing the way for policy deter
mined upon by the administration.
Take the corporate surplus tax, for ex-
ample The administration might have
Informed the B. A. c. that it had definitely
decided to try out the idea of such tax,
and sought the B. A. C.s views as to ways
Of implementing it with least general dis
turbance. Thus might have been avoided
much of the confusion and bitterness of
the past year and half.
Roper as Messenger.
One Of the main reasons for the failure
Of the B. A. G. to accomplish as much as
it might have is the evident inability of
Secretary Roper to carry the message to
Garcia" No one questions Mr.. Roper's
excellent political acumen. But there are
some who think that he is neither the
most effective interpreter of business to
the President, nor of the President to
business. In word, Mr.. Roper has been
at q distinct disadvantage in competing
at the White House with such effective ad-
visers as Corcoran, Cohen and Tugwell.
During NJ r. A. days. moreover, Gen.
johnson and Secretary Roper unfortunately
clashed on various fundamental questions.
These clashes naturally impaired the util-
1ty Of the B. A. c., some of whose members
were selected to comprise N. r. AS ro-
tating Industrial Advisory Board.
A very great difficulty has been the
Presidents fundamental distrust of many
business men and their motives Even had
the B. A. c. possessed in the Secretary of
Commerce a spokesman able to effectively
argue its viewpoint before his chief, MIR.
Roosevelt's evident mistrust of business
would have been serious obstacle to
success.
A fourth handicap of the B. A. c. was
the fact that it had not suficient funds to
do constructive job Of analysis and
recommendation. Perhaps, with the seri-
Gus drawbacks already mentioned, more
funds would have been OF no avail.
Yet all these points are interrelated.
To be successful such q council should
have the staff to perform independent re-
search should have q spokesman COM
pletely sympathetic and forceful, should
make all its views public and should be
assured Of fair hearing at the White
House If not a Hoover Klein then
Roosevelt -Richberg formula seems to be
raaded