The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1914-10-16
THE BUSINESS CONDITION.


What is it or why is it that people
approach the subject of the country,s
business condition with almost sus-
pended breath and do not venture to.
express any confidence in its healthy
development? The country's most
solid source Of wealth, the crops of our
staple articles have been most abund-
ant The relations of capital ard labor
seem to be in state of mutual fore
bearance And the disturbing elements
of strikes and lock-outs are not beyond
their usual normal proportions. AS to
the affairs of the tobacco trade thy
should be running smoother than G .er@
and it's prospects should be brighter
than ever, as all the tobacco crops have.
turned out in abundance, as we'll as in.
satisfactory availability. If the con-
dition of our business affairs were but
normal, the consumption of our tobacco.
products should advance at least in
proportion to the increase in popula-
tion, If not in proportion to the increase
of wealth. And if not, why not? We.
are at peace with the world, but it.
would seem that we are not at peace
with ourselves. We seem to be in the
condition of man whose constitutional
health, that is as to his vital organs, is
thoroughly sound, but who nevertheless
is in constant irritation subject to de-
pressive fits on account of some ex-
traneous pains that veX and trouble
him like pin-pricks and deprive him of
the faculty Of enjoying life as his
otherwise constitutional soundness
should favor it. Evidently it is from
like pin-pricks that our commercial and
political bodies are suffering and pre-
venting the business community from
enjoying to it's full extent the benefits
the country's greatness and resources
offer. And these pin-pricks irritating
the cheerful temper and the buoyancy
of character manifest themselves in the
character of our National Administra-
tion. The President has kept Congress
in almost continuous session for about
eighteen to nineteen months, driving it
to grind out one piece of legislation
after the other in radical change to all
tradition and precedence. The politi-
cal basis of our Government has been
expanded to an extent as to subject the
affairs of the people almost in the
minutest detail to paternal supervision
and regulation. And our economic pol
icy has been turned SO topsy- -turvy that
almost every individual is being drawn
now into the maelstrom of direct taxa
ton. Congress has placed not only
vast business enterprises under its grip
of restriction, but has meddled with all
kinds of business offairs affecting both
the initiative and progress of the lndl-
vidual. The freedom of action by COM
mercial and industrial enterprise has
been placed in jeopardy. The conse-
quence of cracking this whip of pater-
nal power over the commercial and in
dustrial heads of the country could not
but have terrorizing effect on the ex-
ertion of peaceful pursuits and of Gre
ating an atmosphere Of timidity and
hesitancy. The business community
seems to have become afraid of ven-
turing into the open, its pluck seems
to have become paralyzed, dragging
along merely to save appearance. The
vociferous promise of reducing the high
cost of living has not been redeemed.
The pledge Of economy has met mock
ing reply in the extravaganza OF ap-
preparations And the burden of taxa
tion has assumed not only vaster pro-
portions, but it has been made so elias
tic as to insure its continuous increase.
1t is therefore not surprising that the
people Go not know where they are at
and their energy and confidence have
shrunk into lethargy. A relief can only
come with the adjournment Of Con-
gress, which will give the people res
pite to gather their thoughts for the
surveying of the effects which the IN
precedented interference of the Gov
ernment may have on the future safety
and stability of our business affairs ~
U. S. Tobacco Journal.
The Orange Judd Farmer estimates
the 1914 Wisconsin tobacco crop at
A, 200 acres to yield 123, 900 cases, with