The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-06-26

for the high prices he is paying. It is
therefore, we'll to study such prices
and ascertain precisely what the farm
er is receiving Of the amount which
the consumer pays.
Wheat on April LIST, 1914, was sold
by the farmer at 84.2 cents a bushel,
and on April list, 1919 at 214.2 cents
a bushel. According to the figures Of
the Bureau Of Labor Statistics the av-
erage retail piece Of bread in Wash
ington per pound, baked weight, on
January 18th, 1914 was Sc cents. As
suming that one pound of wheat
makes a pound Of bread (Which is
approximately correctly the retail cost
Of wheat to the consumer was 1886,
Of which the farmer received 84.2
cents. The retail price Of bread on
January Is, 1919, was 10 cents and the
consumer was paying for the wheat
at the rate Of $500 per bushel, Of
which the farmer received 214.2
cents"
The above stated figures are not
those Of a Non-Partisan but we're pro-
duced by Colonel Ousley, Assistant
Secretary Of Agriculture.
The great interests in this country
are at present working to the full
extent Of their ability, through their
agents, the 'kept press" to discredit
public ownership. Anything and ev-
erything that can be used as an ar
gument is being pressed into service
by the standpatter politicians. Their
arguments may sound good to some
who are not posted on the matter but
a great amount Of their arguments
are distorted facts which assembled
by cunning writer's has an amount Of
influence. They cannot however pre-
sent n good argument against pub
lie ownership Of public utilities. Their
main argument is that under public
ownership such utilities would be mis-
managed. There is no reason, any
more so than under private ownership
for the utilities being mismanaged.
When the management of any utility
under private ownership assumes the
appearance Of failure there is a change
in management. Could not the same
plan be carried out under public own
ership? There is no reason why it
couldn't be done unless Of course our
opposition should secure control and
use such opportunities for their politi-
cal benefit, as has been done in the
past by them. Public ownership when
handled efficiently and when anyone
does not carry out his or her part ef-
ficiently in the interests Of the pub
lie when in the employ Of such public
have, in the writer's mind, a poor idea
of patriotism, real honest to goodness
patriotism. Every reasonable argu-
ment is favorable to public ownership.
The issue Of the coming election is
clean cut. 1t is not a question of
personalities, whether you like this
man or that. The real issue is, MI.
Reader, edo you approve Of real hon
est government by, of and for the
people or do you prefer the old time
big interest favoring policies advanc-
ed by the I. V. A. gang and backed by
and paid for by the interests. If you
approve Of the former policy you will
vote with the Nonpartisans and if you
favor the latter policy you will cast
you vote on the side of the I. V. A.
Many reasons have been advanced
for the causes Of the high cost of liv-
ing but the real reason is private own
ership of public utilities. If you want
to knock the H out Of the H. C. Of L.
you will do all you possibly can for
the advancement of public ownership
Of public utilities.
An attempt is to be made to rush
through Congress a bill favoring uni
versal military training in the time Of
peace in the near future according to
news dispatches from Washington.
Such action is directly opposite Of the
democracy for which the Yanks q few
short months ago were fighting on
the muddy fields of Europe. Ask the
average returned soldier for his opin-
ion on universal military training and
you will soon find that the Yanks who
have already served are opposed to
such a program. The writer has talk
ed to many a Yank in France from
many different divisions and We have
never found, with the exception OF
about three cases, a soldier in favor
Of universal military training in the
time of peace. When we write this
we of course refer to the common
soldier, the private or non-commis-
stoned officer. Congress should allow
the people an opportunity to vote on
this all important question. The least
that Congress should do is to wait I'M
til the soldiers association meets n
November Of this year at Minneapolis
and expresses itself on the PROPOSE
ton, if that meeting proves to be q
gathering of real representatives OF
the soldiers Of the American army.
When we write Of real representa-
tives we mean that such representa-
tives should represent the views Of
EE GAr go &a EL4---