Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1949-06-03
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Y GEORGE S. BENSON
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Does Government
Management Work?


For a decade before World War
II, France was moving toward con-
troll and management of her major
industries. Private employers were'
unduly criticised. The profit sys-
tenn was represented as being
abused. There were those who ap-
parently found it easy to foment
confusion and strife. Employees
were set against employers. Pro-
duction went down, standards OF
living went lower and lower. The
security of France became doubt
full, as dangers arose.
Then came the attack from Hit
Ter. France fell quickly. Her divid-
ed condition, her hatreds and fac
tionaGsm, made defense feeble and
weak. Then five years later, liberia
ton came. France again estab-
lished her own government. But in
dustrial confusion was still every
where. Employers were so discred-
tied by the propagandists that pro-
duction couldn't get going.
From Chaos to Worse
The trouble was that the French
people in general, fretted by the
propagandists, couldn't get down
to straight thinking. The public
wanted more and more for doing
less and less. The call for govern
ment to take over major industries
became louder and louder.
Certain industries we're therefore
taken over in 1945 and 1916. One Of
these was the coal industry. in
which the government took over
ownership of the mines. 1t employed
the management, and hired all the
workers. The government was
placed in full and complete con-
troll. Three years passed.
No Happy Family
You have perhaps read the news
in recent weeks. Government en-
ployed miners went out on strike
against their government employer.
These government employees so
seriously damaged government
owned mines that government
soldiers had to be sent out to pro-
tect the property and the mines.
You might think that under Social
ism, everybody would be just one
happy family.
Not at all. Fighting has been CO.
ing on between the government
miners and the government soldiers.
Property has been so damaged that
some mines cannot be reopened for
many months at best. Lives have
been lost in the fighting, and many
persons wounded. All this at time
when France is in a critical hour,
when her people need coal and fuel.
This is all wrong, and it certainly
proves that government manage
ment cannot insure industrial peace.
Keep Industry Safe
There are other important OBJ
servations. Very important is the
fact that government ownership and
management of mines did not in
crease production per man day.
On the other hand. million tons
of coal have been lost, and the
price has risen about so per cent
This has led to the diversion of 10
million Marshall Plan dollars from
other purposes. to buy fuel for the
French people.
Many who wanted government
management are still not satisfied.
Many of them are promoting a Com
munistic state. now. That would
happen in America. There is no
Indication that government manage
mcnt would work any better here.
1t is only step toward Commu-
nism, which we do not want. Let us
work in every way to preserve
private management, system
which has helped America to
achieve the highest wages and best
living conditions ever known.
Have you heard DR.. Benson and the
radio drama Land of the Free?
Check your local station for time,