The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-06-19

Continued From Page One.)
the past half year, but he is not
weary of well-doing and he is not
pessimistic about the people. He
Is borne up by the knowledge that
they are with him. | asked him
how he liked his job. He smiled
quizzically.
Some Bound to Suffer.
mo man in Washington at the
head of a big department is enam-
ored of his JONI, said he. No
one takes these tasks willingly;
no man has a right to refuse the
presidents bidding.
cit is impossible to make clear
to everyone in our 105, 900 900
people the reasons for a given line
of action. Every decision in war
times in connection with business
matters is the choice of that which
is the least evil, for war is de-
struction.
I'VE interfere by necessity with
the ordinary laws of supply and
demand. This is true because we
deliberately change the currents
of production and consumption to
make way for the distribution of
resources that war demands. Any
single measure is taken solely
from that aspect and necessarily
means the disruption of some
things. Soften this as much as
we may, be as wise as Solomon,
somebody gets hurt, somebody
suffers.
"The people who suffer, mainly
do ii willingly and philosophical
ly rs part of the war game. They
are pround of the sacrifice. But
there are a few who are unwilling
and who cannot see why they
must suffer more than their neigh
Dor. Washington is the happy
hunting ground of those few.
Hard to Help Balance.
"They not only lombard the
heads of departments personally
with their complaints. but also
their congressman and senators
and the president.
THE WHOLE ATMOSPHERE
OF WASHINGTON is A MASS OF
COMPLAINT.
1.-The net effect is that every
man in responsible position is
leading a life of misery from morn
ing until night in trying to deal
with these complaints in the midst
of more important matters. 1t is
difficult to keep ones balance in
a situation like that.
Take a case in point. The
middle of last winter when we
were considering the guaranteed
price OF wheat, We were flooded
with statements that if We did not
increase the price mentioned in
the presidents guarantee, we
would have no wheat. We were
told the farmers would plant moth
ing but oats, corn and barley and
we would probably starve.
Backed by Farmers.
yet, when 1t was all over, we
had the biggest wheat acreage in
our history, with one exception,
and there was little increase in
the other grains. Result is, it
looks as il we will have the proper
balance between breadstuffs and
other grains. We will have not
only bread, but food for our live
stock, and food for the allies.
Had we been carried off our
feet by the walls we heard, we
would have perhaps had a bigger
wheat crop, but at the cost OF
other grains and at risks with our
Industrial population.
I'VE were backed by the great
bulk of the American farmers.
The kickers did not comprise one
tenth of one per cent. The ball
ance were trying periodically to
do big job to effect the greatest
national end i'm the war.
"They realized we we're striving
to bring about a profitable return
to the farmer, at the same time
that we were trying to fix a bread
price that would prevent riots in
our cities, and would yield sup
plies to feed our army and our