Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-10-18
The National Capital
(By J. E. JOnes)

s SNMSOS - -"
the wastefulness caused from the con.
tinued interruption of our industrial
enterprises thru strikes and lockouts.
As collective body it may be said
that the task was undertaken in a
spirit of patriotism that matched the
heroics of wartime days. Much So
called new thot" and new ideals -
was brot out in the conference. Early
in the proceedings the preponderence
of strength held by organized labor
seemed to run away with the entire
situation. But the pendulum always
swung backward and forward, and let
us hope it ticked off minutes and
hours that spelled victory and achieve
ment for all humanity.
1t was not contemplated that the
conference would perform miracles to-
ward increased production; neither
was it anticipated that profiteering
evils would be solved thru the deIib-
erations of the conferees. The aim was
TO restore the nervous tension of our
people which has not yet relaxed to
normal as the President expressed
the thot. And yet the chances are
that considerable progress was made
toward that goal.
THOU SHALT NOT EARN
One of the most extraordinary sus-
gestions. outside the soviet doctrine IN
cnrporated in the so-calIed Plumb
plan for rurninothe railroads, IS con-
taired in the Cummins bill for the
taking over of the railroads under pri-
vate ownership ard management, to be
onerated under Government CONTROL.
The Crmmirs bill provides that if any
railroad shall earn more in any vear
than fair return upor a fer value"
the entire surplus earned shall be TAX
en- firm the railway company earning
It, 1t evidently did not occur to the
trainers of the proncsed LEGISLATION
that renaI'v would be placed upor
increased efficiency, Stree the leo;ti-
mstn profits earned bv anv vida
awake and profitable raiIrc~4 wouId
accrue r. the government. The onin-
ion Of Charles Evare Hughes is that
such legislation would he mconstitu-
t'onal ard M matfe~ What NAV be the
individual onipion IF Mr.. Hughes as =
repuhE"an loader. the fact is not TO be
lost e;oht IF that he was verv recent
I'' Lirhlv esteemed r,"mber cf the
! Initod States Sunreme Court There
fore E;s vie'"point concerning This feat
IRE IF the Curomins bill has been Civ
~ The "oost thotfuI consideration on
CaritoI Hill.
CONGRESS- has resolved the railroad
Transportation question int problem
of credit almort entirely. There seeme
TO be an uuwillingness IN the part Of
any lawmakers to puII The lever omen
IN such a wav that railroad initiative.
industry economv and good rnanaqe-
r,ent will cbtain their best results. One
Senator, who has nropressive IDEAS up
On the eubiect. puts the problem IN a
nut ehelI when he says that "one of the
aboolufelv essential provisions in anv
LEGISLATION calculated to solve the rail
road problem perm"0entlv must be en-
couro geroent IF efficiency in opera
tion " HI adds that anv plan that
would take awav everything except
what the rate-making authority deter
mines is fair return. would remove
all incentive to efficiency after a fair
return is made. Another class Of Sen
ators and Representatives, are still
PLAYING upon the public prejUdices
AGAINST the railroads and other forms
Of big business to such an extent that
they are unwilling, even IN the face Of
the conviction entertained by the Adj
ministration leaders, and the best re-
pubIicans in Congress. to support
measures which the experiences of the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
the Railroad Administration show to
be essential, if the transportation sys-
TENS Of the country are 10 be placed
upon a sound basis of operation.
THE STEEL STRIKE
Since the opening day the steel
strike has been watched in its every
detail by the public men and students
of industrial conditions in Washington.
The steel industry has asked for no
sympathy, and evidently the public
mind is concerning itself but little re-
garding the interests involved in the
ownership and management Of the in-
dustry. But it IS a very patent fact that