The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-10-13
S and progress.
Railroad Problems.

its and progress.
Railroad Problems.
To the bankers and investors of the
United States, the problems of the
railroads are of increasing concern.
1t is more and more recognized that
upon the prosperity of the railroads
depends to large extent the prosper
ity of the whole country.
At Kansas City last week and at
Cincinnati this week, leading bankers
urged by reports, addresses and reso-
luton the standardizing of railroad
supervision through Federal agencies,
as substitute for the conflicting sys-
tenn of state supervision which exists
at present. Only by such a method,
they say, can railroad securities be
ultimately protected, and prove salts
factory as form of permanent in
VeStment.
Building Up Our Foreign Trade.
Business men in the United States
should be interested in the present
and future action of the National For
eign Trade Council, which has taken
unto itself the huge task of defining,
or even shaping and influencing,
worldwide commercial conditions af-
ter the war. 1t is very important to
note just how the trade experts of
this country view what is likely to
happen across the sea when the con-
flict of arms ceases. Attention is first
called to the possibility that the Euro
pean economic alliances among both
the entente and central powers. by
creating preferences between the Ma
tons now allied in arms, may impose
| Determinations upon the foreign trade
of the United States.
Congress and the Tariff Commits
sion and the President of the United
States are reminded of the necessity
that the American tariff system,
whatever be its underlying principle,
shall possess adequate resources for
the encouragement of the foreign
trade by commercial treaties or agree.
ments or executive concessions with
in defined limits. and its protection
from undue discrimination in the mar
kets OF the world"
1t is also pointed out that the pros
pcct of kcener competition as well as
foreign economic alliances after the
war make doubly necessary legisla-
ton permitting American exporters
to combine, exclusively for foreign
trade, as do their foreign rivals. This
is an endorsement of the principle of
the Webb bill. which passed the
House, but will not come before the
Senate until the session beginning
December.
1t is absolutely essential to Ameri-
can interests to maintain the equality
of this country with other Nations in
foreign markets, and particularly in
China, where the "open door" policy
must be jealousy upheld.
The Council is alive to the economic
alliances which will be established
abroad and their bearing upon Ameri-
can interests. 1t has decided. there
fore, that this whole subject shall be
investigated by a committee of ex-
perts. A necessary sequel of this in
quiry will be the placing of full infor-
nation at the disposal of the Federal
Trade Commission. United States
Shipping Board, Tariff Commission
and Federal Reserve Board.
James A. Terrell, head of the
United States Steel Corporation and
president of the Council, has empha'
sized the fact that after the war thi:
country will have the largest gold re-
serve of any Nation of the world. The
United States would be the larges
customer and the greatest competitor
of Europe, which will be divided int
two hostile groups of powers, eacl
struggling against each other a
sharply as during the Napoleonic era