The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1918-01-24
NORTON WRITES
0F GOVERNMENTS WEAKNESS
North Dakota Representative Believes
Government Erred in Shutting Down
Eastern NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Weed
Out Incompetents
(By Cong. P. D. Norton.)
Washington, D. c., Jan. -, 1913

(Ry Cong, p. ID. NOrtOn.) a
Washington, D. c., Jan. 49, 1918.
Comment and criticism has been fast
and furious in WASHINGTON the last few
days on the order of Fuel Admlnlstratorr
Garfield closing down FOR peri per111G 100 81 81
the manufacturing industries east OF the
Mississippi river The order came on
Thursday with only, a few hours OF pre-
CONSIDERATION to hundreds Of thousands
Of business men and laborfng men thru
out the eastern half Of the country:
Here in washington very rev n 1r,e,, "
ai of the order. 1t is admitted on an
sides that any necessity for such an Or
der discloses a pitiful weakness on the
lens and demands placed upon us by our
part in the world war. The policy Of
watchful waiting; sitting around talk
wiring thumbs; depending upon some
lucky event to turn up to smooth over
incompetency and inefficiency, has had
bad breakdown IT c9u no,,c not On 't the
part Of nation has; never led to any,
thing but decay and disaster HAD
policy Of pOsitiveneSs and practical com
mon sense business foresightedness been
followed by the government, even since
our entrance into the war. instead OF
yacillating, indefinite. everythnE-w lil-ln-
poHcfbi eh cou untrS
and the organization of the country Tor
carrying on an effective part in the war
is in, would not now exist: me i Mas
and unlimited for war; 1t cannot be won .,n
hy men whose main thoughts are the
money and profits or the personal al al
vancement and glory they nay nay e sfoure
sacrifices and real help to their country
and to the uplift of humanity the worid
over they can and should give IN tn ns
the government and Of our people eXe
posed by the order closing down haid
the Industries of the country 70. TOR Two
= number Of incompetents now in the
Government service and the formation
Of a War Council Of able, practical men,
in large of the Country
and the carrying on of our part III tnt
war. it will have served very great
good .tor, enacted
to meet the requirements of farmers for
longtime loans. has already proven ~
success, it only meets a small part OF
1ns Hrnr.' The larger problem is now
and has been for many years to pro
vide system of personal or short-tlme
culture to secure short-time loans on
personal securities at fair and reason
able interest rates. Commercial 6ank-
ing laws have been unfair TO the 1a aaat-
tered and unorganized and because they
are not in position to use pr r;.S Is a;y
banking facilities and comply WIFI n nmere
s ereatiy needed s in the country than was
the Farm Loan Credit system Is an IN
stitution or system to provide for the
special needs Of those engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits for I'd enet
unions have aided marvelously in the
Improvement Of agricultural conditions nj
in Europe during the past forty ,, years ha
Similar organizations should have tne
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. and assistance Of fed led
eral legislation in our own country :ci be.
to have the present congress give ruiz
to the question af Of
short-time AGRICULTURAL credits.
The hearings before the Senate s,s Com
nittee on Military Affairs have di SC
ed many Of the reasons for the snort.
age and delay in the manufacture OF
guns and other war munitions and shave have
tary Of Munitions or for some strong
men to have entire control Of the manu-