The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1919-05-22

is not yet agreed upon. AL least
$7OO,OO0,0OO is demanded as a first
"loan" by the committee representing
the stockholders. They will demand
higher freight and passenger rates II
further direct subsidies are not made.
In short, the prospect of private oper'
alton is expensive to the public treas
ury.
Senators La Toilette, johnson OF
California. Kenyon, Norris, Gore and
one or two others in the upper house
will resist the scheme, in the hope that
the organized railway workers may
create so strong public sentiment
against the bill as to break up the bi.
partisan combination that is trying to
rush it through. But they do not
think that the public will act in time.
The whole railroad fight may have to
be fought over again from the start,
in another congress. In that event,
however, it will be a fight by organ.
lied labor and the allies of organized
labor to secure both public ownership
and real democratic management OF
the transportation system.
League Of Nations Sure.
League of nations sentiment IL
pretty we'll measured, in every state
in the Union, and the Republican
senators privately acknowledge that
there is not the slightest prospect OF
beating that covenant when it is of.
fered for ratification. Probably no
other political issue except the choice
of q president Of the United States
has led to so careful canvass Of the
voters, precinct by precinct. The az
firmative majority in almost every
state and city Is described as a land
slide.
People are reading the text of the
covenant, and are finding it very far
from the ideal constitution of league
of the peoples which they hoped the
president would bring home from
Paris. But with all it's weaknesses
and flaws, it still contains an implied
promise that the bulk of government.
tai power on the earth will hencefOrth
be bound to prevent wars or the TO-
menting of warlike plans. The Amer:
lean people think that this league of
nations will be steadily improved az
the political complexion of the chief
powers changes for the better, until in
few years an almost ideal league
will be developed. And in the mean
time this compromise is worth great
deal.
Soldier Land Plan.
speaking at the reconstruction confer.
ence of the National American Won.
an Suffrage association here, said that
his plan for giving ready-made farms
to returned soldiers was not meant to
cover all of the 250,0OO,000 acres of
unused land that might be had. He
wants only 100000 acres In every
state, or just enough in the next three
years to keep up with the growing
population that must be fed. He would
not enter into any competition with
the farmers now at work.
II would take the hundred thousand
acres" he said; land in the center put
q model settlement; group those farms.
in small lots, in small acreages near
the central settlement, with good
roads from the farm to the church
and the school, with telephones from
the farm to the settlement, with a
man upon the project who could guide
these boys in the change of crops
that should be had and the kind of
fertilizer that should be used; and
would have these farms worked as
nearly as may be along the line of the
settlements in Denmark, cooperative.
ly selling their product and buying
what they wanted.
If we can get this scheme through
we will revolutionize farming in the
United States. The women will have
a back fence to talk over and the chill
dren good schools to go to-
Patent Office Evils.
Uncle Sam has a money-making in.
stitution known as the patent office,
which is run on a principle worthy of
the most hopeless inmate of an in.
sane asylum. No matter how many
thousands of dollars are taken in in
fees for the handling of patent bust.
ness, the bureau can not employ one
more clerk, pay dollar in additional
salary to an expert patent examiner,
nor do any Of the other things neces-
sary to keep business institution on
its feet. It must go to congress and
get an act of congress authorizing
each change in the size of the stan. or
the promotion of valuable men on the
payroll.
With a reorganization of the patent
office, and an appropriation Of an ad.
ditional half million dollars-which
would merely be = repayment Of
money paid into the treasury by the
patent office-there could be accom-
plished . clearing up of accumulated
work. improvement Of the system Of
handling applications, and as a result
the encouragement of inventive genius
throughout the country. The patent
office has discouraged many q man
who had a good idea; like the old pen
sion Office, it let him grow old while
he waited for action. II congress will
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