Show IU IDEALS EALS j B By George Otis Smith j Director of or United States Geological i Survey University of or Illinois I Practical ideals Is more than an parent parent contradiction of or terms terms terms-It It Is he real thing that the world demands The he practical Ideal is the Ideal in its Everyday form that has the power to uplift because it is firmly braced on the he ground I I 1 democracy Is not a mean mean- meaningless ingless phrase The Declaration of ot Independence begins with inthe in inthe I the he appeal it makes for tor the pursuit iS r S of r f happiness Democracy in its essence es- es sence Bence means equality of opportunity its function Is to bu build ld up t to the higher higher high high- r er er r plane not to cut down to a dead level Jevel And in our Constitution the declared purpose to promote the gen- gen feral oral iral welfare Is a guarantee that this l cation takes no narrow view of ot business business busi busi- ness riess questions such as those now before beare before be be- fore are the American people It is in ig human buman welfare that ethics and economics eco ceo find common ground I 1 1 Too much stress tress can not be placed upon the human factor in these lems The student of at politics does well to think less of artificial meas mess measures ures ures res of value to talk less of at monometallic monometallic mono mono- metallic or bimetallic standards and to realize realise that the human standard Is the real measure Reduced to lowest teams property whether real or personal pero personal per per- o gold or silver prairie land or derives its value from what 1 f mans man's labor has put into it or can take out of it 1 J I A working minority of American citizens have come to realize that unC unU unregulated un un- C U regulated private monopoly and good 1 citizenship are antagonistic terms And now that popular clamor is giving giving J ing ng place to thought sober-thought the other side of or the monopoly question Is receiving ref re re- f ehing the consideration It deserves di there Is a widespread recognition of or the he common of big business busl- busl ness ess and the general public On the theone theone theone one side the people are realizing that they are and have been In reality silent silent sil sil- ent nt partners in big business and now that there has come the promise of some regulation that will in large part prevent prevent monopolistic centralization l i she the he people are Interested in getting their share of the returns which can come came only with operation at a profit On the other hand the managers of the large corporations who are really the trustees of the investing public are beginning to see that a certain financial security goes with public confidence The public can not be left out of at the reckoning and that well remembered attitude toward the public so tersely expressed thirty years ago by a pioneer in railroad affairs affairs affairs af af- af- af fairs does not pay dividends tolla today To whom then belongs the reward of efficiency I find a simple answer to that question in the opinions of the higher courts In the decisions of at public public public pub pub- lic utility commissions and In recent or pending legislation Industrial enterprises enterprises en en- as conducted by corporations are Inherently co Owner workman and consumer are in reality partners and as such deserve to share In the profits The public can demand low prices only after atter adequate profit has been provided for capital and fair wages for labor This basal principle of sharing among all three partners partners partners part part- ners seems to me the cornerstone among the practical ideals of the presen present present pres pres- en ent t day The trouble with too many of the business men of the day and 1 ly with those who come to V Washing Washing- ash Ing- Ing Ington to oppose new legislation is their nearsightedness They can not see wide country-wide public opinion and do not appreciate the obvious fact that the financial centers are not also the centers of national thought The result result result re re- re- re sult of at this as I expressed it in conversation conversation conversation con con- last winter with a New York gentleman who was largely interested in water power development Is that the business interests oppose something something something some some- thing at one Congress which two years later they would accept but the next Congress is alread already considering a more advanced legislative proposition We Weare Weare Weare are all more more or less progressive I told him but the opposition has been just one lap behind The bright light of publicity is coming coming com com- ing to shine more and n more upon the Inner workings of all private business which has anything of the public ice character Only about three years ago at a conference on water-power water policy I heard the of the banking houses interested in the hydroelectric business tell teU the Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary of the Interior with considerable warmth of spirit that one thing the men men nen who make possible the development development develop develop- ment of our country by their contribution tion of or capital would not stand for was any legal requirement of inspection of their accounts by the government A corporation has Its rights they continued continued con con- just the same as a private man manIn manin manin in business Last year In the same room when the utilization of at a large powersite owned by the government was being discussed I heard those asking for the permit dismiss the question question question ques ques- tion of Federal inspection of their books with the remark That need not be discussed our books will of course be always open to any authorIzed authorized authorized author author- representative of the govern govern- government ment The ultimatums pronounced b by the ambassadors from Wall Vall street State street and West Vest Adams street are in the pr present sent atmosphere atmosphere atmos atmos- phere of popular interest in these business busi busl ness questions We Ve need to see sec ourselves and our day In the right perspective Men Ien of I vision are what the world needs but vision alone will not suffice surnce It was not a Darius ls Green but Professor Langley and the Wright Brothers who taught men to fly It is simply axiomatic that the world has reached the stage where Science has entered everyday life to a degree that even our fathers never dreamed Physical forces and natural resources are harnessed to the use of man and the workers miracle-workers who can control these Titans are essential members of the body politic The compelling argument for engineers engineers engi engi- I engi-I to step forward as citizens is the I evident fact that politics has not kept pace with science Take the political conditions of this or any other country this or any other day They are characterized characterized char char- by uncertainty confusion and hazards that the business man would at once cut out of his own business and should eliminate from the nations nation's business On the kings king's highway highway highway high high- way of ancient times slaves worked without respite to make smooth the path for royal use and today the American American Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean railroad invests millions to straighten curves or reduce grades but on our political way right obstructions obstructions obstructions ob ob- ob- ob and obstacles which make all progress expensive if not uncertain uncertain tain taro are allowed to remain simply because because because be be- cause these so-called so institutions are our heritage from our fathers and our fathers' fathers fathers The scientist who simply seeks truth for truths truth's sake will surely lose the larger part of life for truth that serves I man science that benefits human humanity it is the only kind whose quest is worth making making making mak mak- ing a work life-work for a man with red blood The most philosophic of American geologists Professor Chamberlin after studying exhaustively climatic conditions conditions conditions condi condi- in the long geologic past and after weighing carefully the possibilities possibilities of disaster to our earth from collision collision collision col col- with some star has shown that we have good reason to measure the future habitability of the earth at millions millions mil mil- I lions or tens of millions if not indeed hundreds of millions of ot years Sharing Sharling Shar- Shar ling ing ng Professor Chamberlin's inspiring belief in the probability of racial longevity longevity longevity long long- do we not gain a real incentive to o research into the great utilization of the forces of nature an added argument for the application of the truths of science to civic progress and a larger faith that th the Golden Age Ages Is s in the future that future that the highest development development development de de- de- de of our country and of the world is to be witnessed by those who are to follow us Are not our ideals practical and is not such a vision a call callo to o larger service n 0 |