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Show = . I U . 5 S STo , . . Plans Plans t Simpler Simpler AidTo Aid Aidr r To 0 Business in . Future 1 1Reduction Reduction in Forms Would Be Relief ; Hope Hopey y " ' To Acquaint Acquamt Small Operators With WithVital WithVital WithVital Vital General Trends . . _ By BAUKHAGE BAUKIIAGE BAUKHAGENew BAUKIIAGENews New News . AnalYIl Analyse and Commentator WNC WNU WNV Service , Union UDloD Trnat Trust Trost BulldlDg Bullding BulldlDgWashlngtGD BulldingWashington BuildingWishlng-ton BuildingWishlng ton WashlngtGD Washington - , D CWhen C CWhen When the mysterious Ninth Nmth arm arm7 arm7suddenly armytuddenly ) ' suddenly rose ftril fult full anned armed on the thewestern thewestern . western front and the First army armyIT army.beside armybeside IT , ITbeside . beside it It , , , started General Elsenhow Eisenhower Elsenhower er s s winter offensive there was one onequestion onequestion onequestion question on most people s lips bps Will Willpeace Willo Willsprmg Willpeace peace come In Europe o before beforespring , sprmg ? In Washington Washmgton on the bps lips bpsof lipsof lipsot of many thoughtnil thoughtful people therewas there therewas therewas was another question too "U U "If If " ' 11 ' It Itcomes itcomes itcomes when It Itcomes itcomes itcomes comes ( or tor for that matter comes ) will we be ready tor for it It7 its ' Inone In Inone Inone one ot of the many compartments of ofgovernment ofgovernment olgovernment government which must be prepared preparedfor preparedfor preparedtor for the ordeal of sudden peacepreparations peace peacepreparations peacepreparations preparations are now going gomg lor for lorward forward torward ward which . . , I believe are both slg sig slgIU1lcant sigmficant sigmficant IU1lcant mficant and hopefulSpec hopefulSpecifically hopeful hopefulSpecifically Spec Specifically lcal11 I am thinUng thmUng thinking of a areport areport areport report made by the director of thebUdget thebudget the budget Harold Sml Smith , a s summary ary of which _ was passed _ along by Sena Senator Sena Senator tor Murray Murrar ' ' chairman ot 01 o1 the com coin commlttee coinmittee cornmittee mlttee mittee on small smallbusmess business busmess tor for the con consolation consolation consolation solation it might bring brmg The director direc three director threetor tor of the budget behoves beheves believes that that1Oformahon thatinformation tha'information thainformation ' 1Oformahon information needed by the gov government government goveminent ernment and valuable to small buslness busl bust buslness bustness ness is going gOIDg to be obtained while whilethe whil wh whilthe e ethe < ' the statisticians statIsbclans who obtain obtam It are areat areat ar arat < ' at the same time going gomg to cut down downon downon dowron ' on the number o of o1 ( forms which the thesmall thesmall thiemail ! small businessman busmessman will have to fill 011 fillout 011Out fliout ; out . . . Filling FIl1ml out forms especially especial11 the theincome theincome th thIncome < ' Income tax blanks Is the subject subjectof subjec'ot subjecot ' ; 01 of considerable jesting jestmg these days daysBut daysBut daysBut But there is a more serious seflous side tthe to tothe tothe ( i the process it If we accept form lorm fill filling fillbig filling ing big out ai as . a symbol ol of the growmg growing growmgpart growingpart growmjpart > part which government plays in m regulating reg regulatlng regulating ulatlng ulating our personal and bus business businessaffairs businessaffairs businessaffairsThat mess messaffairs ; affairs affairsThat That is why this promise comlafrom coming comingfrom comingfrom ) ; from the bureau ot of the budget IS ISsignificant issignificant nsignificant \ significant , , , especially v . when hen it is can con cansldered considered considered sldered sidered side by side with two trend tends t tendsto .ends ends : . .endsto ; to which wroch my attention has Deen been Deencalled beencalled beeicalled called this week and to ' " hich hlch ihich too toofew toofew toifew > few people have paid sufficient at- at attentIon attention attention - - . tentIon . . Expect GovernmentTo GOClernment Government GOClernmentTo GovernmentTo To Take LeadOne Lead LeadOne One is the tabulated result ot of a apoll apoll ipoll poll made by the National Researc Research Researchcenter Researchcenter ; center expressly for Factory mag magaZUIe magazine ma maazme : azme aZUIe azine a McGraw McGrawHiU McGraWHill Hill publicatIon publicatIonand publicationand publicationand and the other is a statement which whichI whiciI I heard recently It was entirel entIrely entIrelyunofficial entirelyunofficial ; f unofficial and surely an expressio expression expressionof expressiono1 ; i of o1 his own view set forth by a aBritish aBritish , 'British British ' British diplomat diplomatThe . . The question which Factory mag magazme magazine magazme azme azine bad had asked of men earning earninghourly eaminjhourly earninghourly hourly or piece wages only ( no supervisors su supervisors supervisors pervisors or form tonnen formen en ) was thiSWho thisWho this thisWho Who do you think thmk will do the themost themost thimost > most to solve the thl : ; lob Job problem after afterthe afterthe attethe ; . the war-the war the war - the government , , , the la labor labor labor bor leaders or company beads heads ? Forty-seven Forty seven - - - per cent of those thoseinterViewed thoseInterviewed thoseInterviewed interViewed looked to govern government governtnent governwent ment went 24 per cent looked to com corn company cornpany cornpany pany heads U 14 per cent to tabor labor taborleadrs laborleaders laborleaders leadrs leaders ) 15 per cent undecided undecidedThe undecidedThe undecidedThe dirlomat diplomat The Theopinion opinion opinion OplD10n expressed by the dip lomat was thiSAfter thisAfter this thisAfter After the war we can look to toward toward tcward ward a United Umted Kingdom Kmgdom where con con81derable considerable corsiderable ' 81derable siderable government control is ex exerclSed eiercised exercised . erclSed ercised - ownership ownerslup ownersnp of railroads railroadsutilit railroadsunlit railroadiutiht ' utilit unlit es mines mmes a sort of sociah socialis soelalis socialistic soelalistic ; , tic monarchyBoth monarchyBoth monarchy monarchyBoth Both these opinions opmlons together indcate mdl indi mdlcate indiCate , cate a trend in the thinking thfnkmg on both bothsides bothsides hotsides th parallilines parallellines parauelines sides of the Atlantic along parallel paraue ; 1 j lines The American workman tee feel feels feelsthat feelthat : s that the American government will willtake w wtake witake take the responsibility lor for employ employment employrnent empio ; ment rnent after the war the British of officlal official oficial t ficlal ficial feels that the British govern government government govenment ment will take over several of the thenation t6 t6nation tfnation e nation s important industries industriesMore IndustriesMore ' - More forms to make out if J h1 ! you youwill yo yowill yi yiWlU u WlU will WlUWhich willWhich Which brings brmgs us back to small smallbusmess sma smabusiness smsbusiness 11 busmess business Committee Chairman Muray Mur MurI Murray Mu Muray r " I . ray and Budget Director Smith Smithand Smitand h ' and the promise of more help for forbus to tobus fibus ' r bus ness with less forms to malout make makeout mak makout forI e I hopless hopeless out and anet ( ( symbolically ) we hope hop e ! less actual domination dommatIon of busmess busines businesby busmeby ls s ' by governmentSmall government governmentSmall Small Business BusinessMeasure BusinessMeasure Measure of 01 En Enterprise EnterpriseI ! erprtse erprtseI I chose this particular example exampl Ie e exampbecause examplebecause examplbecause because I bel eve that the relatIon relatio relatIonship relatioship relatioship n ship of small business busmess to govern gover government goverment goverment n whohave ment is vitaL The peop people ! who whave w ho : have made the most careful carefuJ studIes studIesof studs studsof studiof es of the subject agree that the meas measure mea mesure is S Sire ure ire of small business busmess is the measuof measure measureof measu measuof re of the tbe whole system of private en enterprlse e eterprise n terprlse terprise that if srrst siraU SIr3U ] busmess business businesscrushed businesscrushed IS IScrushed crushed in the process of reconv reconver reconve reconveralon reconveston ' r alon ston all private te enterprise w will 11 eventually be ttultlfled stultffied stultified andnot and not anI only onlythose onlythose , those great semi public pUbbc mstitutions institutions institutionshke , like the utilities and the mines wID will wIDsuffer willsuffer willsuffer suffer the fate tatf late ! predicted tor lor for them themin themin themin in England but eventually all enter enterprIse enterprise enterprise prIse will find itself In government governmenthands governmenthands governmenthands governmenthandsLet hands handsLet Let me say at this point pomt , , howeverthat however howeverthat howeverthat that some industries have 'already already 'alreadyreached alreadyreached ' < alreadyreached reached the point pomt where they have haveforced haveforced haveforced , forced government governmenf governmenfoperation : operation Inother in inother other democratic countries and even evensome evensome evensome some very conservative minds mmds In Inthis inthis inthis this country are beginning to tofear tofear tofear fear that similar conditions are be- be beIng being be being - - ing created , by certain certam busmesscs businesses busmesscsthemselves businessesthemselves businessesthemselves themselves hereBut hereBut here hereBut But it is JS the purpose of those persons per persons er ersons sons In to government and out of it itwho itwho itwho who are struggling with the prob problern problcm problem lern lcm of preserving preservmg small businessto business to give it the aid it needs to preserve preserve pre serve its Independence In order to provide this aid aidIt aidU aidIt It U Is essential that sqmc sqme sgme com corn compromises cornpromises cornpromises promises be bc mad made on the part of ofthe ofthe ofthe the businessmen They can cannot cannot not expect the government to toprovide toprovide toprovide provide them with help they theyhave theyhave theyhave have to have to gel gei get them over overthe the hump of reconversionwithout reconversionwithout reconversion without making certain sacrl saed sacri saedflcesgovernment sacrifleesgovernment flees flces-government flces government flees-government flees - - government officials offiolals can- can cannot cannot cannot - not spend the public publlo moneywithout money moneywithout without establishing establishmg somechecks somechecks some checks and balances on the tn- tn in- in inStitutiOns institntions tnstitntions - - stitntions StitutiOns which are re thus benefitted benefitted bene- bene benefitted - - - fittedFilling fitted Filling Flllmg out forms is one of o1 the theminor themmor theminor minor mmor afflictions affuctIons which governmentcomforted governmentcomforted government comforted economic flesh is heir toHowever toHowever to toHowever However it is refreshing refreshmg to readMr readMr read Mr Smith s report to Senator Murray Murray Mur Murray ray in which he tells us of how accordmg according ac cording cordmg to his custom he has con consldered consideted considered sidered sldered sideted the requests of numerousgovernment numerousgovernment numerous numerousgovernment government agencies for surveys surveysand surveysand and has turned them down ( His job jobIs jobis is to save the peoples people s money b by bypreventmg bypreventing ? preventing preventmg duplicate duphcate effort of government government gov eminent ernment agencies ) He announces announcesthat announcesthat announcesthat that statistical services of the gov government government goveminent ernment are gomg going to be revised revisedand revisedand revisedand and overhauled in order to product produce producea a rounded program to supply thbasic the thebasIc thebasic ( basIc industrial mdustrlal statistics needed needednot needednot needecnot not only by the government bul but butby butby by industry mdustry as well wellMost wellMost wellMost Most of the failures in 10 m little busl bust buslness bustness ness are due to ignorance on the thepart thepart th part of the proprietor of the on one onething onething < thing he ought to know most about abouthis abouthis I -his his - his own business busmess In the first firstplace firsiplace place he doesn t know whether htis he heIS heis IS making makmg money or losing losmg it be because because cause he doesn t keep his books bookspropeTly bookspropmhly bootapropAly propeTly propmhly and he doesn t know knowenough knowenough knovenough enough about the conditions in his ins hisIme insline hi ; line Ime of business busmess outside his lug immedlate immedhate imme diate dlate dhate ken to guide himThis himThis him This is the tipe tpe type ) of mformation information mformationwhich informationwhich intormatloiwhich which the government wishes to col collect collect collect lect and in m turn place at his dls dis dlsposal disposal disposal posal posalOne One of the plans already worked workedout workedout worke workeout < I out is a census of manufacturers of o1944 1944 covering covermg a wide field of datawhich data datawhich datawhich which it is not my mteution inteution to toenumerate toenumerate tienumerate enumerate here tor for that is not notthe notthe nothe ; the purpose of 01 these remarks Thipurpose Thc The Thcpurpose Thepurpose ; purpose is to note hopefully hopcfully the fact factthat factthat tac ; that here is evidence of o1 a trend trendwhich trendwhich tren < ; which in some measure balance balances balancesthe balancesthe i the other two mentioned at the thebegmning thebeginning th thbeginning . beginning begmning of these columns the thetrend thetrend th j trend toward tOYoard government control controlThat That is why I quote the following followingparagraph tollowin ; , paragraph not merely for th the hope hopeIt , it brings to weary fillers out of offorms , ( forms but because it looks like a ahopeful ahopeful ? hopeful sign in m an otherwise some somewhat somewhat som < , what cloudy skyAn sky skyAn An AD analysis made by one war waragency waragency agency of the need of presentinformational presentinformational present presentInformational Informational needs shows that thatabout thatabout about half such material wouldstili wouldstill would wouldstill still stili be required by that agency agencyalter after alter remalmnghalf victory of the remaining remalmng half about two-thirds two thirds twothirdswould - - - " -would would "Would - bediscontinued bediscontinued be discontinued entirely and about aboutonethird aboutonethird one-third one third - - continued coutlnued by other otheragencies otheragencies agencies . . . Railroads are now handling about about2i aboiVk II 2 2i * times urnes the amount of freight trafie traf traffic traffic fic and more than four times Vtvolume the thevolume thevolume le volume of passenger business that thatthey tha thathey th ; t they did before the war the Ass Asso Assoelation elation of American Railroads re reported ported'They ported ' They 'They are carrying carrymg the report reportadded repor rt t added virtually double the load of ofthe o f * the first World war and they are aredomg aredoing a ; " e doing domg it with a fourth fewer freIght freIghtcars cars about a fourth fewer ( ewer passe passen passenger passen ger train cars and a third fewer fewe fewerlocomotives r locomotives than fn in 1918 The re reductlon duction ductlon ductson in fn freight cars aloi alone aloneamounts aloneamounts e | |