Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-19
Striking at the Root OF


"a the Deyil?" was asked the charitable
4 IA old lady whose lifelong rule was
never to speak i'll Of anyone. We'll" she
answered, lit would be a mighty good thing
for us all to emulate his industry
Whatever else may need to be done or UNI
done in these entangled times, when living
costs are unusually high and hasty thinking
far too frequent, course there is Whlch
we all must pursue if our problems are to De
unknotted. We all must make industry
full-sineWed, fu1l-hearted, creative industry
"A constant aim and practice. me Worlu
has many an i'll to be remedied, as it has had
these six thousand years, and many wrong
to be redressed. But when did ideness ever
bear lance for human betterment or begin to
cure distemper? And how can any of the
problems that hang upon the nigh cost OF l1v-
ing be solved unless the production of lfe's
necessaries goes steadily forward-unless in
deed it now goes forward with redoubled
vigor.
With redoubIed vigor, say, because for
the last five years normal production the
world over has been curtaied, and IN some
instances suspended altogether. MlInonS OIL
men have been turned from farm ana factory
and from all the essential crafts to the DatCle
field; and billions of wealth have been drain
ed from productive channels to the business
of humiliation. Imagine conditions IN Geor-
gia if for five years we should raise out
1.-THE or less of our WOnted harVests and stop
our forges and spindles from serving usual
needs Imagine the gap between supply and
demand the consequent heights to which
prices would soar, and the troubles which
would overswarm us until Increased produc-
ton made up the accumulated dehclt. Mag
Nifty this conception a hundred or so times,
and we have a faint picture of present con-
ditions in Europe with it's population nearly
four times greater than that of North Amer1-
ca. We are shipping large quantities OF our
own basis materials to save those famine
Swallowed peoples; and we shall go on spar
ing them a part of our stores as long we con-
tinue to be humane nation.
But obviously we cannot meet the emer-
gency of war-broken Europe, together with
the demands of other regions that formerly
looked to her for manufactured goods, and at
the same time take care of our own needs I'M
less we produce with keener energy than ever
BEFORE and upon widened scale. This would
be true if the United States never had gone
into the war; especially is it true since we
spent the better part Of two years in equip
ping the mightiest military effort of his
tory and subordinated all peace-time produc-
ton to that supFemely urgent end. Is it to
be wondered, then, that we find ourselves in
this first summer after the armistice, and be-
fore peace is yet formally concluded, facing
prices which are extraordinarily high? Grant
ed that certain artificial factors are at work.
and assuredly every case of profteering that
can be found should be brought promptly to
book--still is it not plain that in the very
nature of things as they now are, prices will
continue high until production makes up the
enormous shortage which lies in the wake of
war?
Some things the Government can do by way
of pa1liatiOn and encouragement. But the
Government cannot make corn and meat and
wool; the Government cannot keep looms
whirring and anyils ringing; the Government
cannot change the laws Of nature or protect
any man from the consequences of half-hand-
ed effort. Mr.. W. P. G. Harding, Governor
of the Federal Reserve Board, struck to the
root of the matter when he replied the other
day to an inquiry from the Senate Banking
Committee as to whether he considered
special currency legislation at this time
needful:
whether viewed from an economic
or financial standpoint the remedy Tor
the present situation is the same, name
ly to work and to save; to work regular
lv and efficiently in order to produce and
distribute the largest possible volume OF
commodities; and to exercise reasonable
economies in order that money, goods
and services may be devoted primarily
to the liquidation of debt and to the sat
isfaction of the demand for necessities,
rather than to indulge in extravaganza or
the qualification of a desire for luXu-
Ties.'
All the people need goods and serVices--and
need them all the time. Inc moment one
source of essential supply or one form OF es-
sential service is cut down, the common in
terests begin to suffer. "Meat is too high"
writes that thoughtful champion of public
rights, the New York World; "but," it adds,
F'where is the situation improved by stock
yards strike in Chicago? Supplies are scarce
in New England. How is stress upon the
people Ightened by a strike that compels a
freight embargo? Rents in New York are
burden. How are renters aided by strike of
painters for a fveday week." And of what
avail, we may add will be any regulation the
Government may adopt or any wage increase
that may be obtained, if industry is so fore
leave us without enough goods and enough
services to supply our common needs?
Our common needs! There lies the broad
high ground upon which must get to-
gether not as classes and cults, but as COM
munity, nation, people II we are TO come
happily and worthily out of these trying sea-
sons Money will not unite our problems, and
least of all will selfish efforts in behalf of any
single interest. Nothing will solve them ex-
cept woodwork by all hands and all minds
done in a spirit of service and fair play. An
eminent Canadian publicist recently remark
ed that ''the deadlock between capital and
labor will never give way till both labor and
capital looks upon itself as only a medium
of service" Thus speak common sense and
common humanity. Let serviceable produc-
ton be the aim of Americans one and all, and
our victory in peace will be more splendid
than it was in war.
There is nothing shrinking about the
prOfiteer.