The Washington herald., 1917-05-27

2odrlne' MI Eugene Z. Gnampeflaui'
commissioner OF the Bureau OF Navlga-
ton; Mr.. d. T. worden, of the foreign
shipping department of the Standard OIL
company Mr.. L n. Sherman, of w. X.
Grace Co.; Mr.. A. H. Bull. and MT
Frank c. Munson.
! Many Deserve Credit
These are simple stories which indi-
cate how things can happen effectively In
democracy. They do not pretend 70
tell the whole story because the actual
happenings are more complicated. Many
innuences and many men always con-
verge toward such Accomplishments. The
credit seldom belongs to one individral
ana often much belongs TO people who do
not appear in the simple account Of
events
But this whole railroad episode Is an
interesting picture OF effective democracy
at war veritable rising OF private
ability and helpfulness to national serv-
ice, for 1t must be borne in mind that
not single man mentioned IN these
episodes Is paid q penny by the govern
ment for his services except the commits
sloner OF navigation, and all but he will
lose profits by turning their time, their
railroads. or the ships to the govern
ment's needs.
Bargalns-MInus 3war Prcnts-S
In another field there is a similar in
teresting record. In normal times, be-
fore being appointed a member OF the
advisory commission of the Council OF
National Defense, B. NJ Baruch was a
Wall street speculator-the embodiment
of all the evils against which countless
campaign orators have inveiehed. His
profession has regularly been looked
upon as preying upon the profits OF the
Innocent public The public now has
the spectacle Of Mr.. Baruch making bar
gains with the copper producers to sup
ply the government with copper at half
the normal price. This bargain does not
seem to have stuck, but Br. Baruch also
started negotiations with the steel people
by which the government will save ap-
proxinately s1s,ooo.oO on steel purchased
during the coming year, and Br. Baruch
made an even better bargain for the
government for the purchase Of platinum
than he did for the purchase OF copper
getting the platinum at about one-third
the market price.
These are, OF course, new activities for
Washington, and new personalities. The
president of Sears. Roebuck & Company,
Julius Rosenwald. and a good-sized force
drawn from his Office in Chicago are
down In Washington making arrange
ments to buy cotton, wool, shoes, etc,
for the government at cost plus a profit
running from to Is per cent, depending
on the kind and amount OF the purchase.
And the cotton, wool. shoes and other
trades are banding together and Great
Ing selling agencies and committees to
rx prices in the whole trade so az to
sell to the government in a manner that
violates every letter Of the Sherman act
There Is some friction in all these new
activities, a. Is natural. but so far sur
prisingly little. Some OF the regular de-
partments of the government as well as
these new governmental agencies pre-
sent interesting spectacles. Take the De-
partment OF Agriculture. for example.
What kind Of ar organization has it built
up to meet the present needs? The an
swer is that 1t has not had to build new
machinery much more than the rail-
roads had to build up a new organiza-
tion. II was, in large measure, already
in existence. 1t has adopted a war policy
and turned its already existing agencies
to carry II out, tust as was done in the
transportation field.
There is one fundamental question
which the Department OF Agriculture
faced which does not appear on the sur
face at first. 1t has, up till now. never
urged farmers to increase or decrease
their crops. 1t has showed them how TO
increase, and how to improve methods,
but It has not tried to increase or de-
crease total production or to interfere
with prices.
Increasing Food Production.
But now that we are facing a food
shortage the department has broken all
precedent and urged every one to grow
more and waste less. What II the food
production is so large as to bring prices
below the present high cost of produc-
tion? 1t is not likely, but in such case
obviously II the Government has prac-
tically ordered every one to raise all he
can the government Is morally bound
10 guarantee at least a minimum price
that will mean cost plus some profit And
II the producer is guaranteed a minimum
price, the consumer whose taxes would
have to make good the guarantee Is
morally due a maximum price as a guar
rantee on his side.
Maximum and minimum price-fxing
may not be any more legal than discrimi-
mating railroad facilities, but II newt
ably follows any governmental interfer-
ence with the amount Of foodstuffs pro-
duced by the farms. II extreme meas
ures became necessary the government
could take over wheat at the elevators
and pay for 1t and sell II at such prices
as II deemed wise. This is practically
what happened in Belgium. The Com
mission for Relief in Belgium bought
wheat III the markets. OF Ine "OIlQ anu
sold II in Belgium. and bread was cheap
er in Belgium than in this country where
the wheat came from. or in England
through whose ports It passed, or in
Germany where the most minute sys-
TEN Of regulations and tickets was
watched over by thousands of inspectors
Of every kind. But the question Of pro-
duction Is the first thing.
On the 6th of April Congress decided
that the United States was in a state Of
war. On the 9th OF that month there
assembled in st. Louis an agricultural
conference presided over by the Secre-
tary OF Agriculture. There were thirty
two States represented. and at a simi-
lar conference held four days later at
Berkeley. Cal, there were seven States
represented.
States Cooperate.
State Food Production and Conser-
walton Board was formed in each State.
1t Is made up of representatives of the
State departments OF agriculture, the
agricultural colleges which receive SUBJ
sidies from the Federal government, and
members OF the farmers organizations
or other private persons who could be
useful. In each county. township, or ur-
ban district a local board made up of
county demonstration agents, local farm
organization offioers, etc, will work un-