Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-28
Lspecial Correspondence.l

Washington. Feb. 2S.-The campaign
for currency reform legislation has be-
come extremely active and is being
tcarried on in many parts of the coun-
try. In reality. it is a campaign for
the national reserve association plan
which former Senator Aldrich is cred
tied with being the author Of, or for a
plan that Will at most not vary greatly
from that plan.
The active work is being directed by
the National Citizens League. which
f.as headquarters in Chicago and of
which Professor ]. Laurence Laughlin
is chairman of the executive commit
,teee. According to statements sent out
by the league, it now has organizations
in forty-one states, while the work OF
pushing branch organizations in the
cities and towns of each state is be-
ing vigorously prosecuted.
An educational campaign on the need
for monetary reporm is being carried
on in many sections by speakers Of the
league. Professor Laughlin is speak
ing in the south, Prof. w. a. Scott, of
the University of Wisconsin is max
ing speeches in various states. and
other speakers are busy.
Trying to Combat Beliefs.
The speakers for the rational re-
serve association plan or the Aldrich
plan are .devoting large share of their
attention to trying to brush away the
idea that If this plan is put thru a
few powerful financial interests viii!
control it. Not only is this being done
thru speakers but thru literature. The
National Citizens League is issuing a
publication known as Banking Re-
FORM" and much Of this is devoted TO
com batting the idea that few fnan-
ciers could control the reserve associa-
tion plan.
Says There's No Money Trust.
Some OF the speakers for the league
are ridiculing the idea that there is a
money trust or money power. Dean
Joseph French Johnson, Of the New
York University School Of Commerce.
for instance. made a speech before the
Economic Club OF Boston recently in
which he talked lightly about the
DOGGY Of money trust. However. the
National Citizens League as a whole
is not treating the money trust issue
in that fashion but Is dealing with 1t In
la broader and more serious manner.
The league IS not deriding the move
ment In congress to investigate the
So caiied none: trust. or money
power. II is taking the position that
such an investigation would be help
full. But it is at the same time trying
to promote the idea that the true way
to break up the community Of interest
among certain powerful financiers is
to provide the country with proper
Ranking and currency plan. 1t is al
legged that this community Of interest
really arises from a defective and mad
equate banking and currency system
and that congress viii do more to break
it up by providing a proper system
than by stopping at mere investiga-
; ton OF a n1oacy trust or money power
or whatever one may call it.
To Become Live Issue.
While il is well understood that there
is no probability Of comprehensive cur
rency legislation at this session Of con-
gress or before the presidential cleo
lions, the activity of the National Citi-
gems League and the organized cam
paign it is making in nearly every state
| OF the Union suggests that currency re-
form is going to become an extremely
live issue at Washington IN 1913.