Bay of Plenty Times THURSDAY, APRIL 22nd., 1937 THE MASSES IN U.S.A.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXV, Issue 12307, 22 April 1937, Page 2

Bay of Plenty Times THURSDAY, APRIL 22nd., 1937 THE MASSES IN U.S.A.

Thoughtful and observant Americans are beginning to realise that the viewpoints of the masses in the United States are undergoing fundamental changes which are bound to have farreaching effects. Thus a writer in an American Magazine bolclly asserts that the captains of indus- [ try in U.S.A. have reached a cle--1 finite crisis. “Unless they recognise a greater social responsibility, unless they develop statesmanlike qualities they stand to lo'se in a wholly altered pattern of American life.” The guaran-

tee of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness became the rugged individualism of the past. This made for extraordinary and rapid economic development. The social uprisings of the past had left no permanent trace, but during the last generation conditons have changed. There is, to-day, no free land for the discontented. The new frontier is at the door of every home in the nation. Although the Americans wish to retain as much freedom and private initiative as possible, they have, since the turn of the century, been coming to think more in social terms. The belief in the necessity for socal solidarity rather than complete individualism, has made great strides, especially since 1932. We are told that “a leader has to be in harmony with the led. The steel king, the coal baron, and the insurance magnate, are not the leaders, for the new goal of the ordinary American citizen calls for new qualities in his leaders, and Franklin Roosevelt comes the nearest to the ideal, hence his huge majority at the elections and his nation-wide popularity.” The writer goes on to say that in previous hard times, business men have expected the less fortunate to tighten their belts and starve if need be. Now they find

that men will no longer starve quietly, and that the old leadership means both colossal taxes, and possibly social upheaval. The foreign "trade of the country is diminishing. America can no longer keep her factories going by dumping goods abroad. Nor can the farmer by selling overseas remain a customer for the manulacturer. American business must realise that business can be saved ■ only by bencfiting.and not exploit--1 ing the masses. There is no profit in production' if there is no market in which to sell. A more equitable division of the profits of industry has ceased to be a humanitarian problem in U.S.A. but has become the practical one of assuring any profit at all. In this fact lies the hope that business men as a class will use their best brains in the interests of society as a whole. The chief problem is one ot av icier distribution of business profits, lowered coats of business products. Governments seem to sense only one half of it. It means in effect that ‘Big Business’ in America must adjust itself to the changed conditions or yield to increased Government interference. The slogan is “a more abundant life for all.