Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-01-02

TO- - n E..- T-s5 .--.Ts;i n
history OF the country, reaching in
value the sum Of s2,197, $500
Our Imports never reached the bill.
lion dollar mark until 1903. The in
dications at present are that for the
fiscal year ending next June a x
ports will reach in value the unpre-
cedented sum of $S,000,000,00 600.
The district judges Of Iowa, who
are now drawing $500 per year, to-
Egetner with $500 for expenses, are
going to ask the legislature to in
crease their pay to $4,000 per an
mum. So TAR as the Freeman-Trib-
|une is condemned, it is against the
increase. The expense allowance
might be increased to $500, or the
allowance could be cut out and the,
salary Increased to $4,000. But that
is all it should be. There is alto
|gether too much extravaganza in the
pay Of higher officials. II the tax
payers are going to compensate pub
lie employees for the higher cost Of
living, let the nes who get from ST.
900 to 1000 per year In upon the
ground floor.
India is now producing cotton
from seed procured in the United
States. While the quality is not as
good as that grown in the southern
states here it is likely that with ex-
perience India will improve the quail
ity. The production this year is said
to have reached 100000 bales, an
increase of 20 per cent over former
years. Of course England will buy
in India If she a get the goods
there as cheaply al in the United
States. The production OF this sta
pie on a large scale in one of Brit
aims possessions might seriously af-
feet the sale of the American pro-
duct. Before the European war
broke out the cotton OF the south was
la drug upon the market and the cot
ton growers were calling upon the
government for relief, but no relief
was forthcoming until the var cfe-
ated an abnormal demand. This
same situation may prevail again
when peace is an established fact.
Even in business transactions the
present national administration can
not rise above p~artisanilslIiip and en-
forces the Jacksonfan theory that to
"the victors belong the spoils' when
selecting the locations for the farm
loan banks. According TO Washing
ton dispatches the following places
have been selected for the banks:
Omaha, Neb.; Springfield, Mass;
Baltimore, Maryland: Louisville,
Kentucky; Columbia. s. c.; New Or
leans. La; st. LOUIS, Mo-; st. Paul.
MINI; Wichita, kan; Houston,
TEX; Berktey, Cal; and Spokane.
Wash. Every one OF the states In
which these towns + located was
carried by Wilson at the recent cleo
|tion. except Massaehusetts and Min
nesota, and the vote in Minnesota
was SO close, Hnghes' majority being
lonly 392. that 1t Is now regarded as
la doubtful state, hence is kindly re-
|membered by the most partisan pres
lident that ever occupied the execu-
tive chair. However, fortunately
for the country, the president will
be unable to distate that loans shall
be made only to farmers who vote
the democratic ticket. For that fact
we should all be thankful.
President Wilson writes some fine
dissertations on non-partisan poll
tics, but like so many ministers new
Ter practices what he breaches. He
was going to give us a non-partisan
tariff commission, he said, yet every
last n Of the four persons whose
names have been made public thus
far, supported the president in the
recent election. Ida Tarbell, the
writer of fiction and noted for her
ability to pry into the affairs of big
business. was active for Wilson. Prof.
Frank w. Taussig, another n like
~ to be appointed, is q former gov
Eernment employee and did campaign
work for Wilson under direction of
the democratic national committee.
Daniel c. Roper lives in South Caro-
lima, which fact alone establishes his
democracy beyond question. Robert
w. Woolley comes from Kentucky.
He was head OF the democratic pub
|iicity bureau last summer and is a