Evening star., 1945-01-25

even more Important, II tIldJ Is
possible, than their administra-
ton in the past, since the post
war adjustments will need to be
most carefully handled in order
not to destroy, and I should like
to emphasize that, our entire
business and financial structure.
The man who is given the vast
responsibilities contained in the
RFC Act should be one of proven
and sound judgment, with busi-
ness knowledge gained from ex-
perience in business. The country
has q right to expect a man in
this important place whose phil
for his products. Our farm program
must be one of expansion rather
than curtailment. With jobs for all
at good wages and with foreign
markets greatly expanded, the
farmer will be able to sell at good
prices all that he can raise.
Urges New Loan System.
But this is not all. The farmers
income must have stability. To that
end there should be established 6
comprehensive Federal crop in
surance program which will secure
the farmer against the hazards o1
crop failure. To this must be added
concrete steps to raise the standard
of living on the farm and in the
rural areas. We need a complete
program of new and modernizeo
homes and farm buildings. We
must press forward with rural elec-
itrification and improvement. Only
in this way can We bring to the
rural communities modern facilities
for decent and healthful living.
Nv.
The fourth economic right Is "ths
right Of every businessman. larg.
and small, to trade in an atmospher,
of freedom from unfair competition
and domination by monopolies al
home and abroad"
| Our economic bill of rights, like
our political bill of rights, is based
on freedom of enterprise freedom
of enterprise not merely and ex.
clusively for the few, but broadly
and inclusively for the many. The
political bill of rights insured the
destruction of special prerogatives
and privileges. The economic bill
Of rights will insure the destruction
of special economic prerogatives and
privileges
No special class of business de-
serves to be the spoiled darling oil
Government. The American people
have no interest in preserving the
vested interests and monopolistie
privileges of greedy big business
The interest of the American people
lies in using the resources of the
country to achieve a prosperous
America, prosperous for all business
large and small, and for all the
people.
Must Break Cartels.
We must break through the bar
riers Of monopoly and international
cartels that stand in the way of Q
healthy expansion of free enter
prise.
We must overcome the monopo.
listic frame of mind which think.
Of business in terms of restricted
output at high prices per unit. We
must pass on to workers and con.
sumers the benefits of technologica
progress and large-scale production
Free enterprise In the American ira
dition can flourish only by doing q
large volume of business at a small
profit Per unit.
We must protect free enterprise
against monopolies and cartels
through continued vigorous en-
forcement of the antitrust laws
Private enterprise yields its full ad-
vantage to the consuming public
and to other business only when
it is gentinely free and competitive
He is sinister enemy of free en-
terprise who pays'lip service to COM
petition but also labels every anti
trust prosecution q persecution.
Our economy has important new
expanding sectors in air transport,
frequency meditation, television,
and f1bers, plastics and many other
fields. These new expanding busi-
ness areas in particular must be
kepet free of the constructing hand
of monopoly. There must be a
place in these new business areas
as everywhere in our economy-for
enterprising small firms. 1t is from
these new and small firms that the
great industries of the future will
grow. We need new industries and
new firms to have industrial prog
ress. We must not permit them to
be stifled by monopoly.
V.
The fifth economic right is ''the
right OF every family to decent
home"
Housing Program Needed.
Concretely, we should adopt a
housing program looking toward the
construction through private enter
prise of 100000 housing units a
year and Kidding this country of
its urban and rural slums. We need
to build at least Is, 900 900 new hous-
ing units If we are to eliminate all
our slums and substandard dwell
ings. The right to q home IS mean
ingless when that home is . hovel.
We cannot afford Slums.
A well-housed America must have
modern omes-homes with all the
latest electrical and mechanical
equipment which viii eliminate the
drudgery OF household work. To
the fullest extent possible we must
be q land of home-owners, and to
that end We must assure every fam
lily an opportunity for home owner
ship by making certain that there is
available private credit on terms
which will reduce the down payment
and cut by one-third the monthly
cost Of buying homes.
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