Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-18
Defense Plans
Forcing INEC
To Side|ines
BY LEWIS HANEY

Professor Of Economics. y. \. University
One result of the war emer-
gency is that the TNEC is being
almost forgotten. ! wonder how
many remember what the let
tiers stand for?
The temporary national eco
nomic committee was formed 10
deal with the problem of our
economic organization or "struc-
ture,' particularly monopoly. 1t
has been popularity known as
sthe monopoly committee.
At first, ii sent chills down
many a business back. and much
study was given TO ii regarded
as a threat to business" AS
time wore on, however, it be-
came apparent that there was so
much academic muddling. aided
by division of opinion. that as
threat" the committee would be
only a second-rate show. There
was some tendency to pack the
committees witness stand with
radically inclined persons. but
others were given their day, and
the published hearings in most
cases enable one to get both
sides.
Anyhow. its chairman, Senator
O'Mshoney. now reports. Con-
gress is unlikely 10 give much
attention to the TNEC findings,
as long as the nation is involved
in defense preparations.
-
There is one angle in Senator
O'Mahoney's remarks. however,
which is terribly timely. This is
his reference to the possibility
that private monopoiies may be
replaced by government monop-
oily. He truly says that the
problem of democracy is ito free
industry from monopolistic con-
trolls" But such monopolistic
controls include not only the
partial monopolies that infest
some industries. but also the
complete monopoly which collec-
tivism would fasten upon the
nation as whole. Just now,
perhaps, tt is the latter which
should worry us most.
OF course. you may say that
public monopoly is run by the
nation. and that you are q part
OF the nation. You may say
that government monopoly
will be run for the people. But
l ask you what voice the Ger
man. Italian or Russian indi-
vidual has in the affairs of his
state7 You can't answer that
question honestly. and still main
tain that collective monopoly is
by and for the people.
Senator O'Mahoney is right
when he says that we face an
appalling alternative. namely
the alternative of IN either ad-
justing our economic struc-
ture' TO provide full employ
ment' and preserve free enter
prise. GU or "big government"
in one form or another taking
over the controls.
To the extent that his COM
mittee has provided us with such
an analysis of the evils infest-
ing the capitalistic system that
We can preserve free enterprise.
il has done real service to our
democracy.
Today there is great danger
that the Washington boys will
go in for building government
steel plants and such public
works" as the ST. Lawrence
waterway. in order 10 make
work that is unproductive and
wasteful.
The other is the notion that
what they call the economic
machine" should function for
the benefit of all men"-even
those who can't produce. We
should and must take care of
all men. including those who are
incapacitated by disease and age.
But this is just humanity. II
is a matter of ethics and poll
tics. Relief is not and can
not be a part of the economic
machine. Wages. like profits,
must be earned by production.
War is going to teach us again
that. 10 be efficient. we must
care for the unfit outside the