T he A
u t o m a t ic
piking at the cause o f the real
trouble, which is outside competition.
When business men realized that
,W e were many constructive activ-
in which their associations could
^gage that were approved by the
Government, the association move-
^ n t took a jump forward that has
|taced it in a position when it has
“ecome the means by which most of
the ills of business can be overcome.
a result, trade association has
°ecome one of the greatest construc
tive instrumentalities for business
®etterment that there is.
Be assured that there is nothing in
Statutes of the United States, or
'n the decisions of its courts, that
Prohibits business men from getting
^gether for mutual
betterment.
?hat people have the right to com
bine for mutual aid has been recog
nized throughout the centuries. In
^ct, it may be said that practically
€Very step that the human race has
taken forward has been the result of
^-operation of one form or another,
^he individual is weak. He attains
l e n g t h when he unites with his
fellows.
What are some of these legitimate
Activities in which an association
may engage? Perhaps this question
^an best be answered by a statement
^hich a great citizen of this country,
Secretary of Commerce, Herbert
hoover, once made:
“ Where the objectives of co-opera
tion are to eliminate waste in pro
duction and distribution, to increase
education as to better methods of
business to expand research in pro
cesses of production, to take collec
tive action in policing business eth-
*Cs> to maintain standards of quality,
to secure adequate representation of
Problems before the Government and
°ther economic groups and to im
prove conditions of labor, to nego
tiate collectively with highly organ
ized groups of labor, to prevent un
employment, to supply information
© International Arcade Museum
A
ge
69
equally to members and to the pub
lic, upon which better judgment may
be formulated in the conduct of bus
iness; then these activities are work
ing in public interest.”
On another occasion, Secretary
Hoover’s
Department made this
statement:
t
“ The trade, association as a facility
for the promotion and self-regulation
of industry and commerce has be
come by reason of its scope and ac
tivity, an important business institu
tion.”
Better even then Mr. Hoover’s
words, however, is the encourage
ment and the active assistance which
he has given trade associations ever
since he entered the President’s Cab
inet. He has done more by far, than
any one man, to make the trade as
sociation movement the force for
good that it is today.
No better illustration o f the use
fulness of an association can be
offered than its leadership in pro
tecting an industry against any prac
tice that might impair public confi
dence in its product.
The importation of foreign steel,
simply to save a few dollars in the
first or initial cost, is a point in ques
tion. It is not because of its foreign
origin that the use of imported steel
should be opposed. There are con
ditions which surround its use that
are well worth considering.
American structural steel is made
to conform to certain specifications
that are universally used in this
country. They prescribe its chemical
composition and mechanical proper
ties which are determined by stand
ard physical tests.
The uniform
quality and dependability of the Am
erican product is an important factor
in the building industry.
Foreign steel is made to conform
to foreign standards that are not ac-
sceptable to us. When manufactur
ers abroad do attempt to produce a
http://www.arcade-museum.com/