The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1915-06-18

the development of the country, and
we have reached the period where
the grip of this octopus must be par
allied if the great work of general
Development is to go forward Is
it not strange that men engaged in
the transportation business have
gradually grown rich, while the pro-
ducers of something to transport have
gradually grown poorer. (How the
few have fattened upon the credu-
lily of the many.) The Chronicle
very suggestively remarks, and cor
rectly SO, that the question is not
partisan one, but it makes a tacit
mistake of limiting the subject to
one of few business and profession
al men for consideration If the
country had properly understood this
question the last congress would
have acted in the matter Was it
the professional and business men
that halted it's march, and brought
it, progress to stand-still? This
question cannot consistently be dis
cussed from an exporters standpoint.
The producer is as eligible, and if
there is any difference, more so, to
participation in the proper solu-
ton of this great matter as any one
else. The relation of the producer
to transportation is the same iden-
tically as that of the fountain to- the
stream
Production is the respiratory in
fluence that gives us transportation
The Chamber of Commerce bodies in
this country are not decent baga-
telle of those directly interested in
the establishment Of a merchant ma
rine. This is one Of the most vital
questions directly concerning agri-
culture or rural prosperity. The
opening of new trade routes, the ex-
tention of our trade relations should
no longer be parceled out to the
few. Let the common people wake
up for they are the fountain in this
case, "the business and professional
men are the stream. The common
people should make themselves, not
only heard but felt, and insist upon
an equitable and impartial solution
of this one of, if not the foremost
question of the day | doff my hat
to the ability and personal honesty
of the Chamber of Commerce, but II
do not want the settlement of this
immense and far-reaching question
left exclusively to any party inter
ested for permanent adjustment.
This great work of transportation
should be worked out upon an eco
nomic principal. No cabal should be
allowed to monopolize the great adj
vantage to be derived from the ex-
elusive privileges of passing upon
this great subject themselves.
Therefore in search of information
the efforts of those in position or au-
thCrity to make inquiries should not
stop by comforting with a few, but
should extend the research to every
one. | am optimistic of the future,
and hope I'm mistaken as to the lin
itation the editorial expresses when it
stops at the designation of only the
professional and business men, and
instead of its being a few, its pur-
pose is to include every individual
who produces anything, buys or sells,
including all professions black
smith as we'll as the merchant The
mutual purpose of conserving the
interests should be the foundation
upon which merchant marine can
be successfully operated. Private cap
ital is never idle, it is smart and al
ways on the alert and is not under
estimating the intelligence of the
| country
AS between private enterprise in
| transportation or government owner
ship, Judging the future by the past,
| | will take the latter. One of the
great troubles of the past has been
the under-activity of the masses and
over activity of capital.
Let us try reversal
H. w. M.