The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-09-11

Some buy eXpesive garments like silk
a run. You see the evidence Of uni
versal richness in the hotels and res
t%aurants, at the theaters, and in the
lanes of new automobiles" he went
on, land while some people are very
cautiously saving their money, still
there are mighty few that have not
developed some kind of expensive no.
tons, and silk shirts simply serve as
a very usual method by which the poor
show how rich they feel. Once in a
great while" he confided, "a man looks
longingly at our stock of silk shirts.
and hen says, L can't afford one,
though | want it, And whenever this
happens ! have a ray of hope that
the sense of the human race will some
day return to normal. Not that | do
not approve of silk shirts" he added,
'but they are essentially intended for
the rich, and the Door man has no bust
ness buying them. BY the way" he
suggested insidiously, "how would you
like one Of these e ties, just in to-
day, the latest thing out, and only two
ffty-shall l wrap it up?"
Nothing doing, just yet" / replied,
Pm busy, for I've got to write down
the tale of the shirt"
And here it is as a contribution to
the literature dealing with the all-im-
portant subject of the high cost Of
living.
The president in his most recent
statement, said that "any substantial
increase of wages in industry at this
time would utterally crush the gen.
eral campaign which the Government
is waging with energy, vigor and sub
stantial hope of success to reduce the
high COS of living" The Government,
we are told, is out with it's sledge-ham-
mers trying to drive things down into
the earth again. The program includes
bringing the proiteers TO brook, max
ing the stocks of necessaries in the
country available at lowered prices,
and facilitating distribution. And the
greatest feature of all in Government
activities lies in the protestations that
there must be increased production,
and an end Of profteering, ever among
~wage-workers. Really, this position of
the Government is unique, and 1t Is
an innovation both in principle and
practice of the political end of things
eternal.
The plan of the Association of Rail-
way Executives, which represents
ninety-four per lent of the country's
railway mileage, impresses itself as
the most complete of the several pro-
grams presented to Congress for the
future of the transportation industry
Objections which have been found on
a tremendous scale to the Plumb Palm,
as mulcting the national treasury in
favor of the employees: and on a much
smaller scale to the other plans as en-
dangering the taxpayer to the benefit
of the owners, have not been included
in the Associations plan, for the rea-
son that this plan m nearest to
avoiding preference for either inter
ested party and seeks the welfare OF
: the public at large. It's main points
are: /. Approving the flexible rate
arrangement which would provide
!, rates suf1cient to pay all expenses and
, attract the new capital which for sew
eral years must exceed $500, 000, 900 a
year for necessary improvement work
on the national carriers. 2. II does
!, not obligaate the treasury to guarantee
income to any carrier. 3. It encour-
ages greater u~nifcation by broadening