Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-10-16
RECONSTRUCTION IS
!. NOW A BIG ISSUE
Our Washington Correspondent
Tells of Different After-the-
War Plans Put Forth.

things, the prospects now are tnat
Turkey and Austria will be forced to
surrender before spring. and that the
complete triumph of the allies will take
place next summer. That prospect
brings forward the demand for after
the-war statesmen who can show the
country a practical plan Of reconstruct
ton.
From now on, the voters are not go
ing to be anxious about how a can
didate voted or spoke last year, as to
how he Is going to vote and speak In
1919 and 1920. The political issue now
is: How shall deal with the prob
lens Of rehabilitation? What about
Jobs for the soldiers and sailors? What
about the railroads and the wires? What
about the basic Industries, the food and
fuel supplies OF the nation, the shoes
and clothing and all the other neces-
saries? Shall we develop the wartime
federal control of business into a better
control for time Of peace? Or shall we
turn back the hands OF the political and
industrial clock:
Congress is sprouting plans for re-
construction, these October days, right
and left. The Weeks resolution in the
senate, proposing that congress should
create joint committee OF three
Democratic and three Republican
senator's, along with similar selec-
ton from the house, to study after
the-war problems, was the first to get
into print. Then Congressman Dick
Morgan OF Oklahoma blossomed out
with scheme Of his own, which called
for the expenditure of $5O,00O,0O0 at
the start to put returned soldiers on
the land. And after the senate Re-
publicans, in caucus, had Endorsed
Weeks resolution and had named
committee to urge its adoption by
congress, the Democrats brought out
their own semi-otticial plan, which is
pretty likely to go through.
The Administration Plan.
This Overman bill, which seems to
have the backing of the administration.
calls for federal commission on re-
construction, to be made up of five
men, not more than three Of whom
shall belong to any one political party,
all to be appointed by the president.
The reactionary element is opposed to
letting the president select this COM
mission. They are afraid that he
might choose group of men with the
moral fibre Of the present federal
trade commission, and that the prof
iteering interests would get the worst
of the situation. They claim that the
proper source of reconstruction plans
would be joint committee of con-
gress.
In his bill, Senator Overman pro-
poses that the commission shall re-
port on these problems, among
others:
The financing, regulation, control and
development of the merchant marine
The reorganization, financing and re-
adjustment of industries engaged in war
work, by way of reconverting them to
normal production.
Technical education and Industrial re-
vol Hf Inun mil md
strengthening industry.
Redistribution of labor, made neces-
sary by rehabilitation.
The supply, distribution and avail
ability of raw materials and foodstuffs.
The conservation and development
of natural resources.
Inland transportation by rail and
water.
Communication by telephone, tele-
graph and wireless.
The reorganization Of government
departments, bureaus, commissions or
Offices, with a view to putting the gov
eminent on an economical and efficient
peace basis.
Expert Commission Hooded
The bill provides that the commission
shall examine into the problems and
conditions that are arising out of the
war and that may arise out of the tran
social life of the nation from state
of war to state of peace; and with a
view of meeting, as far as possible,
such problems and conditions before
their solution is actually forced upon
the government, the commission shall
report to congress from time to time
the results of such Investigations, with
recommendations for new and addi-
tional legislation
p~}t Eror hov
since had commissions of this sort at
work. Since they are created by an
act of the national Legislature no COM
plant can be made when they recon-
mend definite programs of legislation
as being necessary to meet the new
conditions. That is the advantage of
the Overman bill over the Weeks
resolution-it proposes that congress
shall deliberately take advice from ex
perts on reconstruction. Senator
Weeks knows that if he can get a joint
congressional committee it will be
dominated by the reactionaries. and
probably by Republican reactionaries.
So we may expect to hear Senator
Weeks and Senator Penrose declare
that congress must assert it's indie
pendence of dictation from the White
House on all reconstruction matters,
and must not let the president have
the naming of any more commissions
except those needed for the actual
prosecution of the war.
Nobody has heard much from the
Socialist party during the past year,
but nevertheless it has gone ahead
and drafted a pretty complete scheme
of reconstruction measures. Congress-
man Meyer London is now working
Z out q bill to set up commission to
launch such program. 1t follows, in
general. the lines of the program is
sued by the British Laber party under
the title, Labor and the New Social
Order" Its emphasis is upon new OPP
portunities for the social development
of the working class, rather than upon
new opportunities for business.
Packer Propaganda Hit.
Chairman Clover of the federal
trade commission has placed in the
record Of the hearings conducted by
the senate committee on agriculture a
complete and smashing reply to the
attacks made upon the commissions
beef trust report and it's profiteering
report either by the packers them
selves or by the Chamber of Com
merce Of the United States or by the
National City bank. When his writ
ten statements are published they will
be found to be even more startling
4 than the report of the commission
which was sent to President Wilson
In July.
4 The effect of the senate committee
hearings has been to destroy all hope,
*on the part of Senators Smoot, Sher-
man, Underwood and others, of safely
quoting the chamber of commerce or
the Swift publicity bureau against the
federal trade commission. When the
Borah bill for the naturalization of
the stockyards comes before the senate
possibly in January-these commit
tee hearings will furnish the finest
sort Of ammunition for the friends of
sthaf vroo a11ro