Norwich bulletin., 1911-10-25
Reason and Common Sense Dependable
Qualities

Editor Bulletin: In reply to Mr.. Ay-
er's first question in The Bulletin Oct.
18th. viii Mr.. Vallette state what we
shall depend on?' Yes Mr.. Aver, de-
pend on reason and common sense, the
highest law given to man, by his Max
err He then occupies considerable
space trying to explain the report OF
the committee composed of intelli-
gent and educated men, We must sup
pose that all the different committees
were composed of intelligent and edu-
Gated men and ranked high, but in the
Lorimer committee there must have
been cog slipped, or there would not
be another committee on the same job.
1t is possible that the committee ap-
pointed to Investigate the cause of the
high cost of living was no more infal-
lible than was the first Lorimer COM
mittee. After labored effort by Mr..
Aver to explain what the committee
did not make plain, he kicks the COM
nlittees explanation and his own de-
Tense of it into a cooked hat, when he
says II admit he can raise and sell
cheaper than J." endorsing my conten-
ton that it is the private ownership OF
money that causes the high cost of 1iv-
ing. On that point, there can be no
more argument between us. Having
found the cause, it doesn't require a
collegiate education to find the remedy.
Here is an opportunity for the gentle
man to use his reason and common
sense. Private ownership of all the
money causes the high cost of living.
There can be but one remedy. viz: the
public ownership of all the money. By
public ownership, / mean congress, the
peoples representatives, creates the
money for the people (the public, and
is owned by the public (the people. COL
lectively). This is SO owned before it
gets into circulation or before it can
be privately owned.
To be privately owned by individuals
it must and can be (and as a, precedent
has BEEN paid into circulation for SER
vice or products of labor. 'Ehe fatal
error Mr. Aver makes is when he says:
rs an impossibility, never can be
done" But he seems to forget, if he
ever knew, that what has been done
the war of the rebellion Gin which 1 am
informed he took part and took his pay
for his service, direct from the govern
ment, in governments. the public's
money!, the prices of about every
thing was high. l remember that wool
was $1.10 per pound, pork 20 cents a
pound by the hog, 60 to 20 cents doz-
en- for eggs, cotton cloth so to 20 cents
q yard and SO on, and yet there was
no general complaint of the high cost
of living. And, why? Simply because
the people owned the money. The
pSOpie MOI Only ONIleu IL, DuL there was
about $50 per capita for every man,
woman and child. Today there isn't
one-half that amount per capita, and
what is worse still the people (tha
public do not own a. dollar of money.
And why? Simply because it is all Dor
rowed money. No doubt Mr.. Aver can
remember when the high prices tum-
bled from the high pinnacle, when pro-
ducts did not sell for the cost of pro-
ductien. He can, no doubt, remem-
Der the panic of 1873. All these were
the result of a cause. The cause was
the changing of the ownership of the
money from the people to the Wall
street magnates by the Intelligent and
educated men who ranked high in the
estimation Of not the majority of the
voters, but of the few by whom they
We're nominated, And those intelligent
men were nominated through the in
f1uence of those who We're bound to
have this change of ownership of mon
ey, from the public to Wall street. Mr..
those intelligent, educated men elect
ed to congress We're not nominated by
the majority of voters He says: 1.-The
public ownership of all money is
an mpOSsibility-never can be done y
Now for proof that it can be done, 1
will ask Mr.. Aver a question. When
you enlisted did you not receive your
pay for your service from the govern
ment in money created by act of con-
gress. Yes or no. Again, when YOU re-
ceiyed Your pay in that money did YOU
promise To return that money to the
government al any specified time2 Yes
Or no. Did You agree to pay interest
to the government for its use? Ycs or