Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1920-08-13


needless to say that in order to be con-
sistent, facts should at all times JUS
tify the decomposition that the gov
eminent employees are properly COM
pensated.
"The child life of the nation should
be conserved; II labor in immature
years is permitted by one generation,
it is practicing unfairness to the next.
Adequate Farm Profits.
EARNING will not inspire Individual
effort unless profits, all things con-
sidered. are equal to those in other ac-
tivities. An additional check to de-
pleted ranks In the fields would be the
establishment of modern state rural
school codes. The federal government
should maintain active sponsorship of
this. Rural parents would be lack
ing in the element which makes civil
ization enduring If they did not desire
for their children educational oppOr-
cities. The price the consumer pays
for foodstuffs is no indication Of what
the producer receives. There are too
MANY turnovers between the two
The farmer raises his crop and the
price which he receives is determine
by supply and demand. His products
in beef and pork and produce, pass
into cold storage and ordinarily when
thew reach the consumer the law of
supply and demand does not obtain.
The preservation Of foodstuffs by cold
storage is a boon to humanity, and 1t
should be encouraged. However, the
time has come for its vigilant regula-
ton and inasmuch as 1t becomes
nart of Interstate commerce, the re-
sponsibility is with the federal govern
ment. Supplies are gathered in from
the farm in times of plenty. They can
easily be fed out to the consumer in
such manner as to keep the demand In
excess of that part Of the supply
which Is released from storage. This
is an unfair practice and should be
stopped. Besides, there should be
time limit beyond which perishable
foodstuffs should not be stored.
.Our objective should be decreas-
ed tenantry With the period of &C.
cupancy uncertain, the renter strips
land of its fertile elements, and each
year diminishes our national assets.
Under the operation Of the federal re-
serve and the farm loan acts, encOur-
agement has come to thousands who
find that industry, character and in
telligence are golden security to the
peoples banker, the government OF
the United States Multiply our home
owners, and you will make the way OF
the sedi1ious agitator more difficult.
Railroads and Waterways.
ANY discussion Of the question of
food supply leads very quickly to the
closely related matter of transporta-
ton. There Is no one thing which
brings us SO internationally to critical
conditions than the insuficiency Of our
transportation facilities. Both the
railroads and the public are to blame.
There has been no material addition
to the total mileage in the last ten
years, and the increase In terminals
has been much less than required. At
the beginning Of the war the rolling
stock was sadly reduced and made
quate. The public had not given in
pay for service sufficient revenues on
which credit could be allowed by the
banks. Moral assistance was withheld
because Of railroad policies that did
not bring approval Many of these
corporations had made themselves
part Of political activities, local, state
and national. Then there were more
or less sporadic instances of stock wa
tering operations, and the exploitation
Of utility properties for personal gain.
abuses were not general, but they
were sufficient to bring the entire rail-
road systems Of the country In dis
repute. The good suffered with the
evil. When the transportation lines
were taken over by the government,
they were barely able to limp through
the task of the day. Unity In opera
ton, the elimination Of the long haul,
and the merging of every mile of track
and terminal and every car and en-
CINE into a co-ordinated plan of op-
GRAFTON, enabled the government to
transport troops and supplies, at the
same time affording, under great
stress, a satisfactory outlet for our
industries. It should be remembered
In this connection that except for the
motor truck which supplemented
transportation by rail, and except for
the great pipe lines which conveyed
oil for commercial purposes, we
should not. in all probability have
been able to throw our deciding
strength into the balance and win the
war. Any attempt to discredit the
federal operation of railroads during
the years Of grave emergency is un-
fair. In the case of those who know
the facts it is insincere. Too much
cannot be said in praise Of those who
directed this work, nor Of the men
who physically operated the lines I'M
der the discouraging conditions OF
poor equipment. But all of this is
water over the wheel The problem
Of the railroads Is still with us. The
government and the public should
render every cooperation in the ut
most good faith, to give thorough test
to private ownership. The railroads
have had their lesson. Government
regulation is accepted now as not only
a safeguard to the public, but as
a conserving process to the utility.
Financial credit is necessary to ply
steal rehabilitation and 1t should be
sufficient for the periods Of maximum