Evening star., 1939-02-25
By the Associated Press.

Partial text OF the addreSS harry L.
Hopkins, Secretary of Commerce. de-
livered before the Des Moines Eco
nomic Club last night follows:
have been identified in the public
mind with the relief of the unem-
ployed. 1t is an identity of which !
am proud. With every energy at
my command I have tried to ad-
minister funds made available by
Congress so as to protect the dignity
of millions of American citizens who
were thrown out of work, and tt
assure them the relief which I be-
lieve is theirs as a matter of right
I am convinced that in time to come
all of us will look back on the pas
six years as the years during which
this Nation developed an enlight.
ened social attitude toward people
who are poor and out of work-ar
attitude that gives and will continue
to give new confidence to masses O.
needy people.
believe that the unemployed
should be given work and not re.
turned to the degradation tha
comes with a basket of grocerie.
and handout on Saturday night
believe that unemployment is {
national problem; which only the
Federal Government can effectively
meet. I do not believe that the de-
cision of whether an unemployed
man shall receive work should be
left to the good intentions of loca
official
have yet to see an unemployed
man receiving a Government bene.
fit, dignified as it may be, who did
not prefer private employment. This
preference on his part represents q
hope essential to the future of our
democracy. The placing of far more
people on private pay rolls is, of and
by itself, simple statement of our
objectives. have yet to see a busi-
nessman who did not prefer to give
these men work, if he could, rather
than pay them wages in the form
of taxes to be expended by the Gov
ernment Hence, We have the work.
er who wants to work, and the en-
ployer who would like to hire him
and the Government anxious to see
them get together.
I have never belonged to the
school of thought which holds that
merely dividing up the present ma
tional income would provide a de-
cent living for all. If new jobs are
to be provided, the national income
must be increased. 1t is only by in
creasing the national income, and
increasing the number of people who
receive their income through privatl
wages. that we can hope to attain
anything resembling security in
America A rising national income
just a cold phrase in itself-is an OBJ
lectlve worth striving for because, tC
me, it means good homes, a decent
education and genuine security
for the families of America.
x X x x
Among many businessmen there
exists a widespread lack of conf
oence. am prepared to accept tha,
premise, nor would I underrate its
Importance. Lack of business con-
fldence is and has been a hare
stubborn fact, and may be as real e
deterrent to restored business health
as anv we have to deal with. Fol
that reason, if for no other reason
I do not propose to ignore it.
Confidence Best Secured
If Future Ignored.
If we study the question of con-
fldence closely-not merely bushes,
confidence, but confidence in gen.
eral-We see at once it is state OF
mind-a mode of behavior-a psy-
Geological condition affecting oul
conduct and actions. We see fur
ther that confidence is present wher
the world is a familiar world, wher
most actions can be performed by
habit and when the future is sub
stantiallv ignored. The future is
taken for granted as an inevitable
and acceptable uncertainty. The
perils of a familiar world can be
met with confidence even though
they may be far greater than the
perils of a strange world. Ha bit ano
confidence make us unafraid and
enable us to overcome the new
difficulties that are the normal proc
esses of changing world.
1t is not surprising that business
confidence has been affected by the
events of the past decade Economic
developments alone were sufficient
to disturb the sleep of any business
man. Add to that the revolutionary
developments in other countries
add to that the legisla tive 'eforms
and new Government activit es and
you have the reason why mary peo-
pie have lost their confidence.
Old methods of doing things were
changed-the old setting was re-
placed by new one--new laws-neW
procedure-neW precedents Incon-
sistencies and conflict were mag
nifled-reassurances were ignored
and some lawyers, by their short
sighted counsel. ADDED greatly to the
uncertainties of businessmen.
X X
While I feel there should be nc
general Iise in Federal taxes this
year I believe any Federal taxes
which tend to freeze the necessary
flow of capital should be amended
If necessary such taxes can be re-
placed by increasing other taxes
which do not have the same deter
ring effect.
Avenue for Private Capital
In Public Utilities.
One of" the substantial avenues
for private capital in the near fu-
ture can be the field of public
utilities. That being the case, it is
extremely important there be q
meeting of minds between the utili-
ties and the Government relative tc
the appropriate spheres Of action
of Government on the one hand and
privately owned and operated utili-
ties on the other.
There is peace between the Gov
ernment and the utilities in the