The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-08-07

"
consumer. @
The High Cost of Living.
THE cost of living" says Mr..
Roosevelt ''has risen during the last
few years out of all proportion %
the increase of most salaries and
wages" What is fist necessary is
fearless, intelligent, and Searching
inquiry into the whole subject,
made absolutely by a non-partisah
body of experts with no prejudice 10
warp their minds. no private object
To serve, who shall recommend any
necessary remedy needless Of what
interest may be hurt thereby, and
caring only for the interests of the
people as . whole The Republicans
promise such an inquiry. but their
rank dishonesty OF action at the CN!~
cago convention makes their every
promise worthless. 1t is hopeless
to turn to the Democratic party Tor
relief, because. first the Democratic
party affects to find the entire high
cost Of living in the tariff ignoring
the patent fact that the problem IS
Worldwide, equally pressing in free
trade in England and in highly pro
tected Germany Moreover, ii the
Democrats are sincere. they must
take all duties off the products al
the farmer, and we certainly car
not afford to have the farmer struck
down" Various elements, economic,
!. political and social, are pointed out
i by Mr. Roosevelt as contributing to
the high cost OF Lying. But eifee-
tive legislation regarding ii can only
be framed on comprehensive scale
after thorough, scientific, and
prompt inquiry.
Mr., Roosevelt declares that our
present bank currency based on Gov
eminent bonds il unscientifie, and
urges the adoption Of system which
shall provide elasticity in the
credit and currency necessary for
! the conduct OF business, free from
recurring panics The control Of
such a system should be in the hands
Of the Government. and must be free
| from manipulation by Wall Street
or large interests.
Conservation.
Under this head Mr.. Roosevelt re-
affirms his well-known policy on the
conservation and reclamation of Ma
| tional resources. We must conserve
our soil our forests, our mines. not
| only for our own benefit but for the
! benefit of our children and descend
ants. THE public should not alien
ate its fee in the water-power which
will be Of inealculable value as a
| source Of power In the immediate
future" and 1--WE should undertake
the complete development and con-
troll of the Mississippi as a National
work, just as we have undertaken
the work of building the Panama
Canal"
Alaska.
TN Alaska the Government has
an opportunity of starting in what
is almost fresh field, to work out
various problems by actual expert
ment - IL should at once construct,
own and operate all the railways in
Alaska; it should keep the fee of all
coal fields and allow them to be
operated by lessee with the condition
in the lease that non-use shall oper-
ate as a forfeit; system Of land
taxation should be tried which pro-
notes the actual use of land and dis
courages the holding Of land for
speculation; the telegraph lines
should be owned and operated by tho
Government"
International Affairs.
I'm international affairs this
country should behave towards other
nations exactly as an honorable pri-
yate citizens behaves towards other
private citizens" Our small army
should add large efficiency; the navy
must be steadily built up until ''it
/, proves possible to secure by interna-
tional agreement general reduction
of armaments:" the Panama canal
must be fortified. Panama canal
tolls on deep water commerce should
be uniform to all nations. including
ourselves: American coastwise YES,
sells should pass through the cane
free, for this would lie no discrimina
ton against foreign nations ant
would give us reasonable competj
ton with transcontinental railways
! No foreign treaty should be entered