The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-04-17
. BEHIND THE SCENES
m WASHINGTON .

correct what's wrong with your
government. Labor organizations
keep needing for more Of II and
20 do the business and farm pres
sure groups.
The Joint Committee to Study
Reorganization of Congress,
headed by Senator Bob LaFol-
lette and Congressman MI k Q
Monroney, may even hear pro-
posals that Congress should have
some Of these advisory commit
tees hanging around to give free
advice when called on. The the
DRY behind this is that while
congressman come from all over
and give the country good geo.
graphic representation, there are
too many lawyers in Congress
and this Is supposed to work to
the detriment of the doctors,
merchants and chiefs, as well os
to the butchers. bakers and can
dlestickmakers. In q perfect
state, 1t Is argued, these and all
others should be represented
proportionately In government.
TRIED OUT IN EUROPE
European countries have ex-
perimented with this type Of
thing In various ways. France,
C5echoslovakia and even Ger
many under the Weimar Repub.
lie had such q set-up. In Italy it
was highly developed under the
corporate state.
Growth Of the idea from 1853
on has been slow but steady. Up
to War One only so such advis-
DRY groups had been created.
Bernard Baruch is the real daddy
OF the modern Industry Advisory
Committee. He created some 400
Of them when he was Chairman
Of the War Industries Board in
1917 and 10. They passed out OF
the picture after the. Armistice,
though many people thought
they should have been main
tanned. They were revived as
code authorities in the blue eagle
MIRA days, passed out again
when the National Industrial
Recovery Act was declared un-
constitutional.
But in 1888 q Business Advis-
DRY Council Of businessmen was
organized for the Department Of
Commerce. 1t Is still functioning.
It was responsible for the crea.
ton of the Committee for Eco
romic Development, admittedly
the best of the postwar planning
agencies. Just after he was
named Secretary OF Commerce,
Henry Wallace put the Council
to work on the problems Of small
business.
OTHER JOBS WELL DONE
Foreign Economic ADMINISTERS.
ton has Trade Relations Staff
which has done much to keep
Americas exporters and import
ers alive during the war years.
Surplus War Property Admin
istration is geared to use many
j: the WPB Industrial Advisory
Committees.
Board Of War Communications
IS made up Of representatives
from telephone, telegraph, cable
and radio companies, to CO.
ordinate war communications
problems for the government
military services.
The Petroleum Industry War
Council took in the whole oil
production, refining and market
ing industries in a tight little
organization under Petroleum
Administrator for War Harold
Ickes. Such an organization
would not be permitted for .
minute in peace times under the
antitrust laws, but here It 10 as .
wartime phenomenon, function
al group representation In gov.
eminent developed to it, possibly
highest degree.
That raises the big controver-
sial question on this whole issue.
Are government advisory groups
democratic? Do they bring gov
eminent closer to the people and
vice-versa? Or do they merely
give vested interests legal stand
ing by inviting their lobbyists
right into the council chambers
of government?