The Washington herald., 1918-07-04

governmental assumption Oh inc
phone and telegraph wires OF the coun-
try is but another step in the direction
We have been going for some time
past. 1t occasions no surprise. II Will
mean more efficiency in the war and
will present, when the war is over.
only another phase Of some of the big
problems to be settled then.
Vast changes should not be looked
for under the new regime. IL will
mean much under the surface but the
outward effects will probably not be
dlscernible to the general public. That
much concerns US but little. however.
II the war service Is bettered as a
result Of the governmental uplift we
will be pleased, of course. The big
thing and the necessary thing Is TO
bring more efficiency to all govern
mental business transacted over the
wires and to provide for its dispose
ton in such q way that the CONNER
cial business can be handled without
interruption at other times.
It was suggested, very naturally.
when the big government railroad
legislation was before Congress last
session that both telephone and tele-
graph companies should then come
under the dominion of the government.
But this feature was not incorporated
in the legislation then for the very
good reason that Congress and the ad-
ministration preferred to wait and
take the further step only when It
became necessary. The judgment of
the leaders was that the move would
have to come eventually. Nothing,
perhaps, has been lost by the delay.
- n thA L. haitian
prepared to go into the matter now
with all energy and confident that
good can result from the change.
Members of the Ways and Means
Committee of the House are willing
to attest the fact that America will
recognize its part in this war much
more after the new revenue legisla-
tion goes home than 1t does at the
present moment. For a multitude of
sources of taxation are going to be
discovered and favored by the COM
mittee which will surprise US all and
which. 1t is believed, will make all
realize what our financial tasck is.
The committeeman, however. have
no hesitancy about wading right into
their task. They believe America is
willing to stand the drain and In fact
anxious to do so. The thought is
pretty thoroughly ingrained that we
must go about the task with the de-
termination that it Is the only immedi-
ate task we have-the task Of every
individual in the nation. With that
thought the American people, good
business folks that they are, know
the only thing to do is to spend every
cent IL necessary in order to extermi--
nate his Hellishness just as soon as
possible. When this task is done the
other tasks will come to hand. But
they can wait while we attend to 1t.
Some very estimable gentlemen
whose immense business has driven
them to thoughts of self rather than
nation in this struggle are quite apt
to be disappointed II they expect
the war revenue bill to favor them
to any enormous degree. Just how
far some of them have gone. of
course. Is not generally known.
There Is a good side to the affair
which We cannot help but point out
at this juncture. ....
Listen and you shall hear II.
First. not nearly all of the big
business men of tho country have
been selfish, Many of them have
actually done all they could. some-
times at q sacrifice, to make the
governments road easier for pur-
chase Of supplies.
Second. had we not had many OF
these big business men among US the
task of combating Germany, which
was Q mammoth one from an indus
trial standpoint. would have been
given up at the outset. without an
industrial system of great strength
we would have fallen down.
We would have been utterly unable
to make a single effective move
against the enemy. Soldiers In Eu.
rope would have meant nothing
without q system at home to back
them up. ~ @
Third. while there have been mex
cusable blunders in our industrial
organization for the war, and while
there have been many and gross in
stances OF profiteering. the dominant
spirit has been one of patriotism.
There has been more good than bad.
We have been immensely benefited
rathr than injured by big business
and big business mon. When the
accounts are balanced--if II Is ever
possible to do so--the good they
have done will far outweigh the bad
sonio of them have done.
:. 81. with dus dsfsrence TO ihs