The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1918-12-12

ltIuStS lNduNAShAP ~ ''AN
plan to take over the railroads perman-
emily, there is bound to become show
down in congress that will point out
who's who in railroads, the government
of Uncle Sam. or their actual owners.
The president made no recommended
tions upon the subject to suggest that
the roads should not be returned to
their owners with the old conditions
modified. He names three courses that
might be taken One return to pri-
yate management, unrestricted COM
petition, multiform state and federal
regulation, complete government OWL
ership, or. an intermediate course of
modified private control, under a more
unified and affirmative public regllla-
ton.
The president recommends that CON
gresS have complete and impartial
study of the whole railroad problem
instituted at once and prosecuted as
rapidly as possible, Unless congress
acts without delay, it is thought by
some observers here, the president may
take the step of returning the railroads
to their owners as early as next spring.
He makes it plain that he will not de
lay acting at all unless there is definite
1tdNtll lOl NblHS ST. anu biic lCdN'il
given for the way he puts the problem
up to congress is to spur that body on
to action.
American Highways for Tomorrow.
The department of agriculture at
Washington has $1O.000,000 to appor-
ton under the federal aid act for the
building of new highways throughout
the United States during the fiscal year
that will end next July.
Within two days from the signing of
the armistice all restrictions with re-
gard to building new roads were re-
scinded, and the highway builders of
the nation are gathering in Chicago
this month to discuss every phase of
road building. From tentative pro
gram that has been issued on behalf OF
American Association of State High
way Officials and the Highway Indus
tries Association it would appear that
highway control is drifting toward fed
eral parentage Road bhilding has
taken on new significance within the
past few years, and there is a strong
probability that returning soldiers viii
perform useful service in demon
strating the value of explosives in roat
building. Dynamite has plowed many
new highways in making roads III
France, Belgium and -Italy-and thu
soldiers who learned more of the value
of explosives in military road buildin;
will not he slow in applying thei
knowledge in the making of new high
ways at home, Systematis road build
!: ing must follow up the old methods. a
: it has become apparent that loosel.
constructed highways have no place il
Al Ia .rl
!: way. With an increase of 100 pc
: cent in the motor truck travel Il
twenty four months, and with thi
means of transportation establishe'
. as a part of our new national system
the state highway officials are in Ell
tire harmony with the viewpoint O
: Washington and its road builders i
: the belief that the time has come whe
road building should be a professio
: and a trade Roads that start and fiji
. ish according to the selfish plan c
political pull are dde for many seve
: jolts as the new systems in road built
= ing develop.
The new modes of transportation d'
mand trunk highway and connectin
lines to reach all points of population
: Rural motor routes are being estal
lished by the postofiice department, an
through highways connecting ever
8 part of the country are being planne,
: which will make Declines for the pril
: cipal sea ports. These are not vision
: of the future-but they constitut
= definite plans of the government tht
: will be put in motion during the con
ing weeks and months.
= Civil War Days and Now
. 1t is interesting to note that Isl
wages reduced to u gold basis wei
: equivalent to about $50 per cent
: those of 1861 and in 1868, when Il
: soldiers were returning home lookiI
: for work, they dropped to GIL p'
- cent but in 1866, in spite of the trat
: depression, they were up to 1899 p
: cent, and they kept on climbing unit
the panic of 1873. Thus it became
= matter of great Importance in the i
dustrial Situation Of the United Stat
: as to what the war percentage Of pr
portion should be in manufacture
: distributed between wages and mate
= ials in making up the value Of pr
duets. A very interesting tabulatiOn
Z Industries comprising food product
: textiles, iron and steel, lumber leatht
= chemicals. stone, tobacco, vehicles al
. other established essentials in lii
= shows that in their production to
: value of $24, Dag, 453000 the wage COS
- were 1862 per cent, while the mate
= ial costs were 926 per cent.