Forum Hears Thomas Urge More Control

Norman Thomas, perennial Socialist Party presidential candidate, asked for the "nation's economic Salvation' through scientific government control of basic industries such as steel and transportation. In advocating this he contradicted the arguments of both his opponents at the Law School Forum in Rindge Tech last night on the subject of governmental regulation of economy.

Mild planned economy was proposed by John F. Kennedy '40, Democratic U. S. Representative from Massachusetts, and John W. Welcker, assistant professor of Business Administration at the Business School asserted that the government was meddling too much with the national economy already.

Welcker pinch hit for Owen Brewster, Republican Senator from Maine, who was kept from his scheduled speech at the Forum by the Senate filibuster debate. Seymour Harris '20, professor of Economics, served as moderator.

"The function of government," Kennedy said, "is to do for the people what they cannot do themselves. General welfare is separate from the pursuit of private interests." He expressed the opinion that free enterprise should not be lightly cast aside but that public welfare cannot be increased with government intervention.

Welcker likened the present administration's economic planners to drunks who are on a spending spree. They mean well, he said, but their spending is not wise. "Planners don't know all the answers," Welcker declared.

He complained that the government was trying to do too much in the way of social planning. He advocated planning by individuals in business rather than by a "centralized bureaucracy" in Washington. More production, he said, is the key to economic welfare.

In reply, Thomas pooh-poohed the argument that business will take care of reforms necessary to cure the country's economic ills. If an unrestrained business can do so, he asked, why are reforms necessary in the first place?

He insisted that only government intervention can solve certain production problems. Private enterprise, Thomas explained, cannot handle such projects as flood control reforestation, and soil reclamation which are necessary to increase food production.

Thomas dominated the panel debate which followed the formal addresses, and received many more questions.

When asked whether or not the hard times in Great Britain indicate the failure of socialism he replied that two wars, not socialism have hurt Britain.

Earlier in the day, Thomas spoke informally to the Liberal Union in the Winthrop House Junior Common Room. He told his audience that communists should be forbidden to teach in public schools but that institutions of higher learning should permit complete academic freedom