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> ^ NUMBER 10 |
In solving a mathematical problem one need
not worry' about the result, provided he has con
formed his method and processes to mathematical
axioms and the established principles and facts
of the science. Barring mechanical-errors, which
may be checked, he need not even wonder whether
his result is correct. It must be. The algebra
student hardly need look at the answer, or the
student of geometryy hesitate to write his Q.E.D.
It should be possible, I insist, in the realms of
industry and commerce also, to base a national
scheme of production and distribution upon'' as'
definitely determined economic axioms, to pro
ceed in conformity with as exact economic prin-'
ciples and with as perfect assurance of the desired
result as it is for the algebra student to lay out
the plan of his solution and pursue the various
processes in conformity with mathematical ax
ioms and established principles. The youth who
does not know the mathematical axioms cannot
possibly state his problems and will whiningly tell
the teacher so, though he may be able to do the
semi-mechanical work after the problem has been
slated. Tens of thousands of algebra students
will tell you that they can work the examples, but
not the problems. They know no algebra. Practi
cal problems in mathematics do not arise already
stated, and when such a student faces a new
problem in life he is as helpless as a baby- But
an apprenticeship in exdtnples, must precede the
advance to probletns.
The "Example*”
In industry and comfiierce for an age, produ
cers, from thr tineIwiiin fnrmfiMiptn
indnstfalist;
store-kfeep'dr'td ^e -niercliaht prince, nave kripwr£c‘
nothing of economic axioms of national-pr- world-v
wide import. Their “exampleis” KlWI consisted'of?;
four or five iongf-practie^l processes whiqfr might;
be phrased as buy ascheap as you can,_ pay em
' ployces as litilcT'as yo&ca*ff charge as much as,
you can get, exploit- natural resources to the limit,
regardless of immediate or* future consequence!.
When the fullness of tim'q had demonstrated
the futility, even the Euin, "Of 'stieli processes,* big
business and, I am sorry to say, professional eco
nomists" were as helpless aft; would be the? itvwag^;;
higlvschool graduate if sent to measure the^acre
age of a new-deal cotton patchy The world had
‘spent its whole time on examples and had not
touched the problems. ' ^ ' r \ ? ;
The old scheme of exploitation; of every man
for himself and the devil;catch the hindmpst, was
bankrupt. S.ee the fumblings *of the great 'engi
neer and His advisers aS they seek td hidnce_
prosperity from behind the corner! The great
mathematician in the white hdusd,. who'knew his
mathematical axioms and formulas to perfection,
and could calculate strains or Stresses to -a gnat^s
heel, was apparently as helpless as the algebfa
student who “can work his'examples but 'cannot
state the problems.” - The Departmerit o f - Corn
m,erce had been pie for him but knowledge&f
business"was not acknowledge of ecortoinics as
applied to the welfare of a people on peoples'but.
merely the rules of the 'game pf . individual 0£
corporate exploitation of iabor and natural^ re
sources, the machinery of which was readily aP"
plied to governmental tfarisattidnsi- • '
c No Accepted Liit .of Econwwc Axioms
Yet Mr. HoOvep aridhis advisors ^were-riot &}
together to, blame for the> haphazard procedure
walking their attempts to find a .solution. fo£ ••
complicated economic problem confronting, them.
Economics i$ not a developed science. In the nrs
place, there itfifo-lisl df fceofifcnic***-•:
i°ms. Nor did.it seem to,occur to them, or °
,t\ur oiqvit seem tv .wu.ia_ *y
any one else^ to 'compilesuch a list before tinder
taking to plj'n the process tof solution. They were
in the position ofthfe lad confronted witha prw
whose -solution turns open th? axictin . • d
i7»**i no on AM a i.Uifid ' GLY& CQUOi' -tO
r^nys eqwu W IW OWT/** ywy ~ Uan
™ch other bnt:,W^3iot:;Jdi^ thesis 'suctr
axiom or that he fe^expecjed-to use-it.,:.
Tn i-r’Mri*ii - it 11
Mum or that he is expecjea to use
. In either case^all attempts at solution»re-;^
hazard and ^satisfactory. refcplt a marvel.
is perfectly satisfied if he^finds • .
.
he, has secured the answer in the answer book,
though the agreement of the answers may be the
sheerest happen-so. The wise teacher, if limited
to either, would prefer to see a correct statement
of the problem than a correct answer. The for
m.er cannot be fudged nor result as an accident,
while a correct statement assures a knowl
edge that, barring semi - mechanical er
rors, makes the correctness of the answer in
evitable. •
r
AN INVITATION AND A
SUGGESTION
Readers are invited to criticise this '
article. Is it breaking NEW GROUND
or merely bogging in illogical mire?
You might also read article on page
4, something different from anything
ever before appearing in this paper,
if not in all literature.
And ypu will miss a notable treat
if you fail to read. Judge Utley’s ad
. dress on page 6.
This issue of the Voice speaks for
itself. Apropos the reference above to
Judge Utley, let me quote a sentence
from Mr. Willis Briggs’ letter accom
panying the manuscript of Judge Ut
ley’s address as a pointer Jo the usual
quality of the Voice, the significance
of which pointer wll be impressed by
■pian Judge Utley as;.;
~. "." o' *
resides m Arkansas, ,G^n you as a
telligent North CaroliM^(dd'leSs^ r ,
send in your subpcyiptioh? In order to
make the point, all^the' clearer?
here wJiarthat intelligent gentleman
of the State HighWav sei^ce,: Mr?|V
*R Hall: savs. Mr. Hall writes:' I
writes
hf; every
B. Hall, says. Mr.
rekd, and .enjoy 'ey . _ ....
dopy of the State’s Voice. ”
.J - Later: An hour afterHie ■ .abpS?r$e|||,.
the typewriter for the printer’s ha$d»i
. Mr. M. Jemigan of Newark, N. ^ vis
iting Dunn and having seen., pne copy *
' of the. State’s Voice, rode up . and sup
scribed.* Yet many intelligent |,osid'ents v
* of the State have neveyaeen a copy.: ;/
The paper is only -one dollarA year. ;
iThe ptojectojyof a national ecoshtaic . scheme,
uhguidecT by^axiomatieiprsiKiples, it; if possible,
in a worse plight -than the algebra student ignor
ant of his axioms and of the manner of their ap
plication. The former has none. -Yet it seems that
I" must change the illustration to portray his sta
tus. He may be likened to a man with an auto
mobile in a vast plain-over which every kind of
vehicle is traveling-in every direction, fie Seeks
Otbpia heyond the horizon.- He makes a^gpesaas
to the point of compass in .which it lies, heads me
car inShai direction; fastens'the wheHv and: sets
ihe carm gearat full tilt.Hehas no further control
of it>Even if he has gassed the diction <£>■
rectly. the car is subject to hundreds .oLinterfer
ences Every unevenness m the £oil, the force.
the winds, the criss-crossing of other ears md
tne, millinabi®’influences hot merely m
mHCTe°with the continuance of the ch.iwu ceurse'
but almost- assuredly produce di^sf^;> is pm
the way,”- but whither ? And what - bkehhood is
Sere that he wUl oeachwhafev^
Will had whabh%se^s^s;-;
fro Truth dotitradicts Otheir^i^ , ^
* l^o truth in any contradicts any other
■uth in. thad science dr ifl.wyJ
. yj.
xuajqojd b jo uopnios aqj SuftjBjjapun uosrad axfj
in mathematics, chemistry, biology, or even the
ology, having properly stated that problem, has
no interference from extraneous sources. The
solution rests en^rely with him. But in an eco
nomic realm possessing no established guideboards,
blindly driven interests are in contant clash. Even
elements may retard, or wreck, as came near the :
drought in its class with the AAA program. :•» -
In a truly scientific economic realm, the direcr
tion of the desired goal will have been definitely;
determined, inviolable guideboards set up, and all
interests headed in the same direction. Back to ;
our vast? plain and its myriad of vehicles. As
pictured above, there is no certainty that any ink r;
terest will arrive at the goal aimed at. But, hav
ing determined with all certainty that the direc
tion is west, for instance, and all vehicles having
been faced that way, due allowance made for the
force of winds and other extraneous influences*
the wheels of all the cars may be lashed, and i
all proceed in parallel lines to the desired goal c.
without danger of clash or crash. It makes no
difference, in such case, which car (interest or
vocation) one may be riding in, he reaches the
same desired haven with all others.
Projectors and Critics Equally Without
Test Standard
The. obvious fact that . opinions among all
groups vary with respect to the potential efficacy
,of practically every new-deal scheme launched is
indubitable evidence that they have been launch-* .
under no set economic laws, ;or scientific sanc
' that the^<erilics -are.,a& unpbssessed of^
crjten
. not to mention. tlje . thousands of -ipdependehk;
'.crafts ^hak-plouili-their wa^r regardlesg of? the.Jd
scourse^ of'ea^ dtSef or of. the newly tafldrab.^
.crafts. w v-Avw■
' Eaclfanaster is -a' veritable Pqpeye blindly seek
>ing,a’-•no^'icoritiheht indus hurried^y. th^h'hvl^ed:
^rk? A.
\ T ^ : 'a. j.L!- . A 1
new-de
tfiiches - uponthe pewest.mbdels of ^
schemes and the President as vigorously prepar
ihg his speech to be deiivensd in: {lie evening over
radio to the, American people, Six hours from, |
this mopignt W ,shall be hearing an account of -
< hjs.-stewardship,. .Will he, gauge the.. pupceBs §f
each and all the enterprises by apparent effedj^; ,,
s or wiU % justrfy5>|bie various enterprises, f>y ’a
t proof iof ,thdr corifoOTity to , iucpntrp^fitft|,o
'. principles? If .-the- former, there will be as lit*
. ,tle confidence to be put in the justification as
.there,is to be placed in. the boy’s correQt ( ?)
.-answer,.to an incorrectly .stated problchi or. ode
-the statement of -which you have'not. seeny The'
factors have been so many and the' tyiejldei's^bf ,
'them- suchv a jnulfituhe * that the cifed' impfoVe-C
. meant? may almost as readily.'.fie accounted forth*
itous, as otherwise Oh the other hand/ if the
.-.schemes ..shall he shown to, be
.dormity to indubitable
wilf be perfect evert though jlr. Roosevelt, \yeje <;
. compelled to admit no evidence at Jill pf economy,
betterments or- even; a worse*'dJ^h^that
existing \fhen. the new deal was launched-.y , - ;
. -Conformity, to trufhts the one infallible rf*-".
ferion. . Immediate results ,may‘.be, misleading. *•!
Practices and processes based upon absolute- tfutb^v
cannot ultimately fad.,^ : A
•fl*XI
• »c'
I ' Criteria Not Available
,„But* as .stated above, there are'no. accepted cri
*; tern, asjn the ^yeldped whicli.we^y
* apply, tQ ih^ .YarioU8Aenterprises of the new
Therefore one who would’cWebk up oii thejih must,
•i* - x-f u:" Ww^fh. K^iirliJrh
- - ~5_*r *\ «■. *» * -»'• > -M,.’if, V 4 ''*f>
eternal truth./ , That f propose_to ad. after hearr
ing the President’s address: mt herie it may he
worth* while3qJceSta©J0*e«rage-$<f^definition; of
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