The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-03-29
Square Deal

"WHAT WE WANT FOR BUSINESS Is
THE KIND OF LIBERTY WE WANT FOR
THE INDIVIDUAL.
In his famous address to the
business interests of the country
last July, the president ampli6ed
his statement by saying:
"a just price must, of course, be
paid for everything the govern
ment buys. By just price I
mean price which will sustain
! the industries concerned in high
state of efficiency, provide a living
for those who conduct them, en-
able them to pay good wages and
make possible the expansion of
their enterprises which will from
time to time become necessary as
the stupendous undertakings of
this great war develop. We could
not wisely or reasonably pay less
than such prices They are neces-
sary for the maintenance and de-
velopment of industry and the
maintenance and development of
industry are necessary for the great
task we have in hand"
With that, too. every sane
American must feel himself in
perfect accord. No class of bust
ness is more intimately allied with
the needs of the nation today than
public utilities. Every one of them
stands in the first line Of defense,
holds its place of paramount i'm
portance in the main trench. All
alike must be maintained at the
maximum standard of efficiency.
None deserves, none asks for any
special privilege. Indeed, if there
is another class Of business which
has uniformly thrown itself more
freely and generously into the
breach of national service at this
time than the utilities, we have
failed to find it out. On that score.
there is no argument. But as the
President says. to enable this and
other classes of business to do
what they must do, it is essential
that they must receive a fair rate
of return for their service. They
have enormously increased and
over r-increasing costs of operation
to meet. They cannot meet them
and keep up with current demands
unless they are permitted to raise
their rates in some degree-not to
raise their rates in order that they
may increase their profits over and
above what is right and necessary
In short, all that the President
suggests, all that the utilities ask
or expect is a square deal"-as
the President has so happily
phrased it, "WHAT WE WANT FOR
BUSINESS Is THE SAME KIND OF
LIBERTY WE WANT FOR THE INDI-
vIDUAL."
We are simply enunciating the
Live and let live" of the Golden
Rule, which is the vital cry Of a
people united as we are and must
remain. These higher price levels
cannot be regarded as temporary
expedients for some and not for
all.
The most encouraging feature of
the situation is that the public and
the public's official representatives
are coming to appreciate the force
of all these appeals for the square
deal for utilities. For the fact is
rates ARE being increased by and
with the authority of the public
through commissions and courts
Hundreds of increases in all kinds
of utility rates have been granted
throughout the union and in
Canada. But, of course, hundreds
of others must be granted. All
utilities are in the same box and
all must have the same treatment
The outlook is hopeful, for the
simple reason that the justice of
utilities case has impressed itself
on large proportion of the public.
In other words, despite the cam
outage Of propaganda misInform-
alton, the facts are filtering through |
a..l eoo4n .,..ll LII. >.