The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-23
H. c. L. AND RELAXED ISSUES

H. c. L. AND r
nx-secretary OF the Interior Franklin
X. Lane says that both political par
tics have overlooked what Ia the lead
ing political issue In the minds Of the
people tris year. ana that ID the high
cost OF living.
A big financial Institution OF New
York. In q telegraphic question:
naire 70 correspondents IN ali sec.
tons OF the country ELECTS a similar
response. In only one OF the nine ter
ritorial subdivisions was the response
received that foreign relations was the
most important political question. The
high cost OF living was considered most
important In two districts, second II
one ana third In two, fourth In two and
fifth In two.
Next to dissatisfaction with the
present administration this seems TO be
tho principal issue.
II the dissatisfaction Ia as widespread
\ as 10 claimed then the cause appears
to be high prices.
But how are prices to be lowered Z
Tho federal reserve bank system 10 en- :
doavoring TO bring about defation by
the imposition OF arbitrary rules as TO
credits. The result 10 that the reserve
board Is being very severely criticised.
| Wo are getting dehation In some lines,
but with such rush as to endanger
business conditions.
The manufacturer with q large stock
OF goods on hand IL unwilling to reduce
the price on these because II he does
no may soon find himself conducting a
losing business. 2M !
Wa haya Nha ana To- x&NAaA =
great Ford concerns putting. fheir
prices back on the prewar level. This
Is wonderful example. II may be
followed with advantage by many con-
corns. There are many others, how
over. who could not do 80 except at
tremendous loss. Such a marking down
In prices also unsettlea the values of
articles which have already passed out
into the trade. A Manchester cotton
goods manufacturer has reduced his
prices one-third.
Inventories must be revised. But UNI
questionably the game Of marking up
prices which has 80 delighted the
| prohteer In about over. The reverse IL
going to be tho rule, a. ~
! The chief boneflt In the Ford plan AZ
that no continues TO employ thousands
| OF men at high wages. That's the
main consideration today. II factories
are enabled TO reorganlse their business
so as TO keep In operation the period
OF denation viii be short.
There are many favorable signs. The
tone OF the stock market In New York
Ia very encouraging. When we con-
slider we are In tho midst Of the crop
moving season the money market IL
found TO be in exceptionally good con-
dition.
After ALL the farmer In going 20
tsave our country and the world. we be-
lieve, from what we might expect 40
\ n legitimate consequeneorot the four
years OF war, The corn crop IL the
most stupendous OF record. and the
wheat crop and other grain crops are
large. We shall have plenty for all
hungry mouths hero ana n big surplus
for the starving Poles, Austrians and
Armepians this winter.
Europe also has been industrious and
Nature has been bountiful. The crops
on the continent arc excellent.
| What the United States and western
Europe need now In q complete re-
sumption OF trade relations every
whore. The granary OF the world.
southern Russia, Ia stili closed. We are
yet at war with Germany and central
Europe. Our export trade is declining.
cur imports are growing all the time.
There In still largo balance In our
| favor. but II viii be wiped out unless
| tho league OF nations In established and
\ Germany and Russia brought in rs
| me mbers no as TO restore prewar trade
conditions.
We shall never overcome holshevism
| by bayonet or blockade. We array all
Russia against us and there were $780,
100000 people In Russia before tho great
war, and not many less now. The
surest antidots for rank socialism ia
contact with successful commercial
| countries,
| Our suave commercial travellers will
bo moro effective than angry diplo-
mats, So II has been all through his
| tory.
Reinsurance as to an international
solution which would protect the world
against n recurrence of war: lifting the
burden OF mllitRrism from an OPP
pressed world. and the USE OF tho vast
furds thus released for river improve
ment, canals. roads. and irrigation. the
reduction Of taxes, the taking OF losses
hv manufacturers as they must in ,he
trt usition period from gross profteerinE
|
homo 20 recover sooner than might be
expected from the war drunk he has
been INDUCING In. b."
What John Stuart Mn called the
curing force OF Nature" Is very strong
We see its benencent effects today In
BelTium, where PROSTATE people has
quickly got on It's feet, gone 60 work
and the damage done by the war Il
almost unnoticeablc. SO with France
after the war Of 1870 ana 20 a great
extent today II shows what a thrifty
people can do. II was slower IN the
south after the Civil war. but Il took
place surely all tho same,
Land labor AID capital are the three
forcos OF production. The nrst remains
almost unimpaircd The second IN more
depicted. but the new generator Of
youth are coming on, Capital las beer
severely shaken, but government and
, corporation financing are now done on
greater scale than ever before The chie,
harm Of the war that remains IL the
crop OF hatreds, producing their fears
We need more Christian love
! Just as we completed the above we
came across the following from the
pen OF Sir Henry Gibbs. the famou,
war correspondent:
~ I'VE are truly in sick state. and
/ although do not believe with Anatole
= France that Europe Ia dying tust yet.
! think that there win be great Rgon-
I les 10 20 through unless there IL a
complete change OF heart tremendous
spiritual revival among the peoples OF
Europe.
mot by ceaseless strikes nor bloody
revolutions are we going 10 ind rom.
edy. Those viii not Increase produe-
\