New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1919-05-03
Henry Glen, 5
Weekly Letter
Especial to Herald).
Feace Negotiations and After.

N
New York, May 3.-We are now
approaching the final stare of neaca
negotiations when bitches and DELAYS
should cause no surprise 1t must ba
remembered that in order to make
any progress the toughest problems
were put OFT till the end and the Way
OF least resistance naturally prevailed
III the early parleys While Italy will
pfonably compromise, it is in her
power TO cause considerable DELAY
ana irritation. Germany NAV balk al
the drastic peace terms which will be
imposed upon her, though submits
sion is inevitable. The onlv hone for
rapid settlement depends upon q
realization of German statesmen that
their larger and permanent interests
lie in prompt acquiescence. Uaiv
must recognize the large gains thai
she has made would have been i'm
possible without Allied aid; and VAN
'qulshed Germany may as we'll sub
mt promptly and gracefully to tho
inevitable. AS soon as peace is
signed practically all remaining trade
restrictions will disappear; and the
next question to occupy Diplomats
VIII be the making Of new intclna-
nonal treaties, the war having swept
away most of those existing, between
oelllgerent countries. Much difference
of opinion win doubtless devotion be-
~ tween those who seek wider internal
uonal intercourse and those who de-
sire to penalize enemy countries. The
nliictlon of penalties will call for
nluCh wisdom and self-restraint; for
1t would prove unintelligent and
against our own interests to name
suitable indemnities and then impose
. Sjble.
Hope in the New Congress.
special session of congress- is
likely to be called in the middle OF
May. 1t will be more occupied with
practical reconstruction than with
visionary reforms, of which the coun-
try has had q surfeit for the past
decade. Taxation, appropriations,
railroads, tariff and treaties Will alb
Horb Washington's attention for some
months TO come and the extra ses-
sion promises to be q long one. Econ
Ony also is one of the most urgent
questions demanding attention. Before
the war this was a billion dollar coun-
try. This current year federal OK
penses will reached 81 900, 900 600 or
SIC, 100000. 900. and the prOs-
poets of a radical reduction are NOT
very encouraging. There is q pros
s-peCt of the country facing a heavy
loss this year on shipbuilding, on the
railroads and on the wheat crop
guaranteed price. 1t is quite certain
that this years waStagc after tho
war ended will be not far from $40
100000. 900. It is true considerable
reduction of expenses will be secured
by partial disbanding of the army. but
the proceeds of the Fifth Victory
a DIV
and with such heavy expenditures or
losses to meet 1t is plain no great re-
duction of taxes will be possible dur
ing the coming year. These arc un-
pleasant facts, but they might as well
be faced. There is only one solution
Of this difficulty and that is economy
not only by the federal goVcrnmen t
but equally so by state and munich
Sal authorities throughout the cOun-
try. The word economy seems to
have been eliminated from our vocb-
uiary and it has become foolishly
popular among those Who govern to
increase taxes rather than cut ex-
penses. It is much more popular to
strike wealth through taxation than
to stop public waste and CXtraVa-
y ganCe. Unless some effective efforE
is made to curtail taxation and curb
the socialistic fcrvor for DESTROYING
wealth, capital will leave the country
and deprive both labor and industry
of their chief necessity. no time
should be lost by business men ir
tnlpressing upon congress the urgency
rl9r economy in expenses: also fair
\Vreatment of capital. which. like la.
Dor will go where ii receives the best
rewards.
Failure of Government Operations
Government opera ton Of railroads.
telegraphs and telephones has proved
failure. However necessary it NAV
have been to take over these inst,u-
mentaIluHS us a wal measure, il has
been amply proved that the govern
a1ent is absolutely Incapable Of Sc
curing the efficiency and economy Of
operation attained under private en-
terprise. Expenses rise upon q scale
that would moan bankruptcy if the
government did not tax the people
10 meet losses; all because that same
government lacked the courage to
hold wage demands within the bounds
Of reason Not even a heavy increase
N passenger and freight rates conld
meet these demands, which must he
passed on to the overburdened tax
payer. The same experience has been
had in other lines; and whether in
railroads. telcgraphs. shipping or
other activities the results or govern
ment operation have always been the
~ same; inferior service and higher cost
as compared with private enterprise
Circumstances may have somewhat
complicated the experiments; but the
results would have been similar; and
II is safe to say that socialistic move
ments such as these have received a
setback that will last for a long pc
riod.
satisfactory Business Conditions.
rrIn business outlook thOIl2I SnOftN