The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1917-05-04

to assist farmers in securing an ade-
quate supply of seed, an adequate
force of laborers when they are most
needed, at harvest time, and the
means of expediting shipments of fer
tilizers and farm machinery, as well
as of the crops themselves when har-
vested. The course of trade shall be
as unhampered as it is possible to
make it and there shall be no unwar-
ranted manipulation of the nations
food supply by those who handle 1t
on its way to the consumer. This is
our opportunity to demonstrate the
efficiency of great democracy ana
we shall not fall short of it!
This let me say to the middlemen
of every sort, whether they are hand
ling our food stuffs or our raw ma
terials of manufacture or the pro-
ducts of our mills and factories. The
eyes Of the country will be especially
upon you. This is your opportunity
for signal service, efficient and disin-
terested.. The country expects you, as
it expects all others, to forego un-
usual profits, to organize and expedite
shipments of supplies of every kind,
but especially of food, with an eye
to the service you are rendering and
in the spirit of those who enlist in
the ranks, for their people, not for
themselves. shall confidently expect
you to deserve and win the confidence
of people of every sort and station.
To the men who run the railways
of the country, whether they be man.
ayers or operative employees, let me
say that the railways are the arteries
of the nations life and that upon
them rest the immense responsibility
of seeing to it that those arteries suf-
fer no obstruction Of any kind, no in
efficiency or slackened power. To
the merchant let me suggest the
motto, Small profits and quick SER
vice." and to the ship-builder the
thought that the life of the war de-
ponds upon him. The food and the
war supplies must be carried across
the seas no matter how many ships
are sent to the bottom The places
Of those that go down must be sup
piled and supplied at once. To the
miner let me say that he stands where
the farmer does: the work of the
world waits on him. If he slackens
or fails, armies and statesmen are
helpless. He also is enlisted in the
great Service Army. . The manufac-
turer does not need to be told, hope,
that the nation looks to him to speed
want only to remind his employees
that their service is absolutely in
dispensable and is counted on by
every man who loves the country and
| it's liberties.
Let me suggest, also, that every
one who creates or cultivates a gar
den helps, and helps greatly, to solve
the problem of the feeding of the
nations; and that every housewife
who practices strict economy puts
| herself in the ranks of those who
| serve the nation. This is the time
for America to correct her unpardon.
able fault of wastefulness and extra.
vagance. Let every man and every
woman assume the duty of careful,
provident use and expenditure as a
public duty, as a dictate of patriot.
ism which no one can now expect
| ever to be excused or forgiven for
ignoring.
In the hope that this statement of
the needs of the nation and of the
| world in this hour of supreme crisis
| may stimulate those to whom it
comes and remind all who need re-
| hinder of the solemn duties of time
such as the world has never seen
before, beg that all editors and pub
fishers everywhere will give as prom
inent publication and as wide circula-
ton as possible to this appeal ven
ture to suggest, also, to all advertis-
ing agencies that they would perhaps
render a very substantial and timely
service to the country If they would
give it widespread REPETITION. And I
hope that clergymen will not think
the theme of it unworthy or inappro-
pirate subject of comment and homily
from their pulpits.
THE SUPREME TEST OF THE
NATION HAS COME. WE MUST
ALL SPEAK, ACT, AND SERVE To-
GETHER!