Business Cooperation

(Continued from Page 25) the basis of a most successful appeal to the common sense of the- consumer.

We discover associations making energetic efforts to prevent bankruptcies among their members-getting together with the object of "tiding over" a shaky brother, even if that involves stepping in and running his plant for a while. They give impartial information to an outsider who is thinking of entering their chosen field, so as to direct his prospective enterprise into profitable channels. We witness their cooperation u'ith Better Business Bureaus throughout the land in the determination to combat fraud. They labor collectively in the cause of accidentprevention.

American trade associations extend all kinds of help and counsel to visiting commercial clelegations frorn abroadas in the case of the recent International Road Congress. They have motion pictures produced to explain the workings of a given industry-or they publish magazines or issue attractive, useful handbooks for a like purpose. They provide unified action for their industry in handling traffic cases, questions of freight rates and so on. Many credit matters. too. norv come rvithin the sohere of the trade associations. They effect important sar;ings through joint purchases of equipment and in the cletermination of style trends.

The associations carry out the extremely useful policy of certified grade marking to protect the inexperienced consumer (as in lumber and tiles, for example) in cooperation with government agencies. They introduce standard labeling, to prevent misconception on the part of buyers. They maintain standard packing and crating practices, for our convenrence and protection and their own greater profit.

The National Lumber Manufacturers Association has taken an ancient and highly conservative industry and brought it into the forefront of modernism. The American Institute of Steel Construction is responsible for the general adoption of a standard building code which has helped to increase the use of steel. vet has meant an annual saving of 30 million dollars to building-owners. The National Retail Credit Men's Association advances the claim (justly, I believe) that the sen'ice conducted under its auspices has saved the merchants of this country millions of dollars formerly lost because of inaccurate and incomplete credit information, and that the extended credit made possible by this prompt and efficient exchange of credit data has materially increased the buying power of wage earners and of those u'ith limited in66ms5-4ll making for greater comfort and happiness among our people. I wish that time permitted citing others of the countless examples of this same helpful, valuable variety.

And so we may say that business collaboration is just applied common sense. The great British labor leader, John Burns. once tolcl of visiting a lunatic asylum and of being astonishecl by tl.re ierv keepers. "What's going to happen," he asked, "if those maniacs get together and start something?" The dr-.ctor's ansr'verrvas significant: "Lunatics don't collaborate !" And to that I might add: But sensible, far-sighted business men are not lunatics.

I need not emphasize horv tremendously valuable such cooperative service can be right at this present juncture in our American business life. It forms a potent factor in helping to boost us along the path that leads upward to the plateau of prosperity out of the distressing trough of depression.