The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-01-31
WASHINGTON
NEWS LETTER

| Ownership of Waterpower, Coal,
Oil and Other Resources of the
Public Domain.
GERMAN RAIL RATES ARE LOW.
Soldiers and Sailors Insurance Act to
| be Amended and Revised to Include
| Old Age and Invalidity Insurance.
Washington, Jan. 29.-Price-f fixing
as applied to the things the farmer
must buy, is still long way from
enactment by Congress. Inquiry at
the office Of Chairman Gore of the
Senate Committee on Agricultural
shows that no bill providing for the
fixing of prices on manufactured
goods has as yet been introduced in
the upper branch.
In the Senate, the debate for some
days has been chiefly concerned with
the bill proposing to have the Fed
eral Trade Commission direct the
pooling and distribution of the news
print paper supply Of the country.
Senator Smith Of Arizona has the
measure in charge. A great many
sharp criticisms have been brought
agains the bill, the most sensational
being those by Senator Harding Of
Ohio and Senator Reed of Missouri,
that if an official of the Government
were permitted to absolutely control
the distribution Of news print, paper,
he would be able to destroy any news
paper by merely Withholding it's sup
ply. Reed pointed out that this would
be far worse than press censorship: it
would be ess-strangulation.
Indications are that the measure
will be drastically amended, so that
the distribution of print paper will be
controlled by special board, from
whose decisions a publisher may ap-
peal to court.
Ferris Opposes Public Ownership.
A part of the discussion of water
power legislation, Representative
Huddleston Of Alabama asked Chair
man Ferris whether the new water
power bill drafted by the administra-
tion would provide any means by
which "the government itself may de-
velop any Of these waterpowers for
government purposes?"
Ferris replied that he did not think
it would. - Z.
"In view of the gentleman's state
ment," said Huddleston, "that there
! is no provision whereby the govern
ment can utilize this waterpower it
self, are not we proposing to grant
away great asset of the people COM
parable to coal and minerals Of var
ious kinds ?"
"If the gentleman is friend Of
Government ownership" Ferris re-
piled "this bill will not meet with his
approval. It is not government
ownership plan. an not yet con-
vinced that the government of the
United States can blow the nose of
every citizen every morning of the
year, and do it better than the citi-
zen can do it himself. I am not for
Government ownership of waterpow-
err"
This statement is worth noting care
fully because it directly opposes the
statement made by Senator Borah,
that henceforth he stands for only
public ownership and operation Of
power, coal and oil resources of the
public domain.
German Rail Rates Low.
| Coal shortage has become SO SER
ious a problem for families living
within sight Of the national capitol
building, and everywhere else in the
region of Washington, that the House
has adopted joint resolution calling
for a report from the Bureau of
Mines as to the best plan and site
and cost Of coal yard, to supply all
governmental departments and ser
vices in the District, thereby reduc-
ing the call upon the commercial coal
yards. While the members were de-
batting this resolution, Representative
Fordney of Michigan made vigorous
attack on government ownership, Of
ssany and all Sorts" on the ground
that it cost more than private owner
ship and operation of business.
| Fordney denied, for example, that
freight rates on American railroads
had been so expensive to the shipper
and consumer as had freight rates on
government -owned roads abroad.
Hardy Of Texas challenged this state
ment, whereupon Fordney declared
that freight rates on the government
owned roads Of Germany were high
er than on the privately owned roads
Of America.
Cooper Of Wisconsin read from 9
book published in 1910 by Carl Vroo-
man, now assistant secretary OF agr1-
culture, showing that German freight
rates for the average haul were low
er than American rates. The Prus-
sian rate was .95 Of cent per ton
mile, as compared with the average
American rate Of LA per ton mile.
a British commission has reported 10
1902 that the cost Of transportation
4 N fho German railways. for export