The Nenana daily news. (Nenana, Alaska) 1918-1921, 1918-08-26

operations. Inc world Solu sup
ply is draining toward the United
States, naturally, under the COM
polling needs of nations at war, but
this new scheme has caused the pipe
lines of commerce to flood and
overflow upon us. Though no
change of monetary standard has
been provided, change in value
has taken place. The anomalous
condition has arisen that raw gold
is worth so per cent more than its
coined equivalent Does anyone
wonder then why gold standards
have suddenly been wiped out the
world over? Why promises to pay
81 in gold last year may be settled
now for Sc 2-3 cents? Because as
gold commands a premium of 60
per cent, sc 2-3 cents in gold can
be sold to the United States via
the smelter and refinery for 81.
But that dollar What kind of a
dollar? Not a gold one! Oh, no!
A promise to pay 81 in gold.
If the production of the neces-
sites of life had only been likewise
stimulated what happy world we
should now be living in--but
The Government, needing money
wherewith to pay it's gold bonuses,
must needs tax its people. And
gold being still scarcer, relatively,
than wheat, meats, sweets and eats,
the prices of these have risen, and
eat and who can't, even at the
greatly increased wages, has de-
manded more and gotten it. The
manufacturer, to pay his increased
tax, increased labor bill, increased
material costs, has increased his
prices and the dog still chases his
tail. We have automatically, with
out intending it, merely showed up
the prices of everything. We have
enjoyed a year of prosperity-we
may enjoy another; but the reaction
is on its way. We are going to
try it little longer, but already
the signs portend the end Our
product has increased in value, but
our labor, supplies, materials have
so increased also that the margin
between them has narrowed to the
old basis, and already some of our
producers are agitating for a de-
mand upon Congress for another
60 per cent bonus on top of the old.
We have been living in a realism
of affluent dreamers, superinduced
by the new opiate: TT. of Bonus,
which is even worse than the pipe
.o'dreams at All Lees hop joint.
y And our fellows "over there,
giving of their lives and limbs now,
that liberty may live, are coming
back next year or the wear after.
/ halt, MANNED and blind, to assume
the load of debt we will have built
up for them with our bonus. They
are coming back to the fields and
and shops, willing, anxious to work
some still strong, vigorous, hopeful.
But they will find our fields and
factories anxious to reduce pro-
ductlon costs; competition for the
few places by the many men is 60
ing to shove down the wages. The
bonus is going to burden and not
reward them. They are going to
pay, pay, pay. With their sweat
and toll they are going to assume
and discharge the debts we have
saddled upon them and be poor but
happy in the doing of it-while we
and the other gold bugs of the
nation revel in the wealth co we
have gained through our bonus.
Oh, yes, the bonus is beautiful!
Beautiful to contemplate. like the
flowery dreams of the eaters of
Lotus blooms and the inhalers of
distilled Poppies.
| Let US by all means have our
Bonus. Other bones than ours will
break under the burdens of Bonus
what do we care!