Evening star., 1940-01-25
Need
Of Proper Rules for
Private Business
Program Not One
Of Regimentotion,
Auto Dealers Told

"The task of the Government to-
day is to develop set of rules Of
the game under which private busi-
ness as it now exists can function
effectively" Paul v. McNutt, Fed
eral security administrator, told the
delegates to the twenty-third annual
banquet of the National Automobile
Dealers Association at the May
flower Hotel last night.
Mr. McNutt declared the program
was not RECOMMENDATION. Govern
ment is and should be responsible
for maintaining the fundamental
conditions of economic progress and
business security" he said. 1T does
not and should not attempt to take
over and run business. The Gov
ernment's functions are enlarged in
this process because somebody has
to prevent economic transition from
becoming economic collapse.
"The modern rules of the game
are somewhat different from the old
ones. They may seem somewhat
disturbing at first. But they will be
perfected. Already they are recog-
niZed as necessary for the survival
of our system of business and gov
ernment.
Priceless Heritage.
"The recovery we have already
achieved has taken hard work
eight years of it. We must not
jeopardize the gains we have won
because the domestic battle is too
firing or too long in yielding COM
plete victory. Democracy and free
enterprise will perish, not only from
Europe, but from the whole world,
unless at least one country shows
that these institutions can deliver
the goods and are worth working
and fighting for. If we can, unitedly,
carry forward this work, we will pre-
serve a priceless heritage for others
as we'll as for ourselves. It will be
an historic achievement of an his
toric epoch"
Indirect reference was made to
John L. Lewis, who on Tuesday told
the United Mine Workers of Amer
lea that Mr.. McNutt was a political
adventurer" and a "vote-buyer."
Il feel strong bond with the
automobile industry" Mr.. McNutt
said, because three years ago GER
tain individual tried to sit down on
it and yesterday he tried to sit down
on me. Your experience makes
mine less embarrassing"
Praising the automotive industry
as a showing that probably can not
be equalled in the history of capi-
talism, Mr.. McNutt pointed out that
it constituted one-seventh of the
Nations entire business. He esti-
mated the sales of new cars in 1889
at nearly 4,000, 900, and if used cars
were included he placed the total
at 100000 On the profit and en-
ployment side, the record is corre-
spondingly high. he said, declaring
more men are kept at work in the
various parts of the automobile
business than in any other industry
in the world. The wage record was
similarly good, he asserted.
1T is not too much to say that
the automobile industry provides
the greatest demonstration in all
times of what business can do in a
democracy" Mr.. McNutt declared.
You have furnished to IS per cent of
the people in the land one of the
greatest miracles of modern science
for the improvement and enjoyment
of life.
Boon For Democracy.
II would like to see this amazing
record blazoned across the front
pages of the world-in Europe, in
the East, and wherever democracy
is under attack. I would like to see
it hammered into the minds and
consciousness of hopeless and de-
spairing peoples everywhere. 1t
should be dinned in the ears of all
whose faith in popular government
is weakened. If they could come
to know and appreciate these things,
uneasy would lie the heads that wear
the crowns In those unhappy lands
80, too, should this performance