The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-12-06

able for me to set forth as explicitly
as possible the alternative courses
that lie open to our choice. We can
simply release the roads and go back
to the old conditions of private man.
agement, unrestricted competition,
and multiform regulation by both
state and federal authorities, or we
can go to- the opposite extreme and
establish complete government con-
troll, accompanied, if necessary, by
actual government ownership, or we
modified private control under a more
untried and affirmative public regula-
ton and under such alterations of
the law as will permit wasteful COM
petition to be avoided and a consider
able degree Of unification of admins
tration to be effected, as, for example,
by regional corporations under which
the railways of definable area would
be in effect combined in single sys-
TENS.
Harness Now Taken Off,"
While the war lasted we set up
many agencies by which to direct the
industries of the country in the serv-
ices it was necessary for them to rem
der, by which to make sure of an
abundant supply of the materials need
ed, by which to check undertakings
that could for the time be dispensed
with and stimulate those that were
most serviceable in war, by which to
gain for the purchasing departments
of the government certain control
over the prices of essential articles
and materials by which to restrain
trade with alien enemies, make the
most of the available shipping, and
systematic financial transactions,
both public and private, so that there
would be no unnecessary conflict or
confusion-by which, in short, to put
every material energy of the country
in harness to draw the common load
and make of us one team in the ac-
complishment of great task.
But the. moment we knew the
armistice to have been signed we took
the harness off. Raw materials upon
which the government had kept its
hand for fear there should not be
enough for the industries that sup
piled the armies, have been released
and put into the general market again.
Great industrial plants, whose whole
output and machinery had been taken
over for the uses of the government,
have been set free to return to the
uses to which they were put before
the war. 1t has not been possible to
remove so readily or so quickly the
control Of foodstuffs and of shipping
because the world has still to be fed
from our granaries, and the ships are
still needed to send supplies to our
men overseas and to bring the men
back as fast as the disturbed condi-
lions on the other side of the water
permit; but even there restraints are
being relaxed as much as possible and
more and more as the weeks go by.
"Great Agencies Used"
Never before have there been
agencies in existence in this country
which knew so much Of the field of
supply, Of labor and of industry as the
War Industries board, the War Trade
board, the Labor department, the
Food administration and the Fuel adj
ministration have known since their
labors became thoroughly systema-
tized, and they have not been isolated
agencies; they have been directed by
men which represented the permanent
departments of the government and
so have been the centers of unified
and cooperative action.
ut has been the policy of the execu-
tive, therefore, since the armistice
was assured (which is in effect a COM
plete submission of the enemy to
put the knowledge of these bodies at
the disposal Of the business men of
the country and to offer their intelli-
gent mediation at every point and in
every matter where it was desired.
1t is surprising how fast the process
OF return to a peace footing has moved
in the three weeks since the fighting
stopped. It promises to outrun any
inquiry that may be instituted and
any aid that may be offered. It will
not be easy to direct it any better
than it will direct itself. The Ameri-
can business man is of quick militia
tive.
Work for Fighting Men.
The ordinary and normal proc
esses Of private initiative will not,
however, provide immediate employ
ment for all of the men of our return
ing armies. Those who are of trained
capacity, those who are skilled work
men, those who have acquired famili-
arities with established businesses,
those who are ready and willing to go
to the farms, all those whose apti-
tudes are known or will be sought out
by employers, will find no difficulty,
1t is safe to say, in finding place and
employment. But there will be 9TH
ers who will be at loss where to gain
a livelihood unless pains are taken
to guide them and put them in the
way of work.
There will be a large floating re-
siduum Of labor which should not be
left wholly to shift for itself 1t seems
to me important, therefore, that the
development of public works of every
sort should be promptly resumed in
order that opportunities should be
created for unskilled labor in particu-
lar, and that plans should be made
for such developments of our unused
lands and our natural resources as we
have hitherto lacked stimulation to
undertake
Reclamation for Soldiers.
81 particularly direct your attention
to the very practical plans which the
Secretary of the Interior has devel-
oped in his annual report, and before