The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-08-13
concluded from first page)

spOnsibllity Is with lie federal govern
ment. Supplies are gathered In from
the farm I'm times OF plenty. They can
easily be fed out 20 the consumer In
such manner as 10 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 a
time limit beyond which perishable
foodstuffs should not be stored.
"Our objective should be a decreas-
ed tenantry. With the period OF oc-
cupancy uncertain, the renter strips
land of It's fertile elements, and each
year dlminishes our national assets.
Under the operation OF the federal re-
serve and the farm loan acts, encour-
agement has come 70 thousands who
find that industry. character and in
telligence are n golden security TO the
peoples banker. the government Of
the United States. Multiply our home
owners. and you vii, make the way OF
the seditious agitatOr more difficult.
Railroads and Waterways.
"Any discussion Of the question OF
food supply leads very quickly TO the
closely related matter Of transp0rta-
ton. There Is no one thing which
brings US 81 internationally TO critical
conditions than tie msufliciency of our
transportation facilities. Both the
railroads and the pUolic are TO blame.
There has been no material addition
10 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 q
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.
abuse were not general, but they
were SUFFICIENT to bring the entire rail
road sy. ems 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 hile of track
and term, al and every car and en-
CINE into q cO-Ordinated plan Of OPP
Grafton, enabled the government TO
transport troops and supplies, at the
same time alfording, under great
stress, satisfactory outlet for our
industries 1t 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
Icen able 10 throw our deciding
rength into the balance and win the
AR. Any attempt to dscredit the
federal operation of railroads during
the years of grave emergency Is un-
fair. In the case of those who know
the facts IL 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 dscouraging conditions OF
poor equipment. But all Of this is
water over the wheel. The problem
of the railroads is still with us. Tie
government and the public should
reader every cooperation in the Ut
most good faith. 10 give thorough test
TO private ownership. The railroads
have had their lesson. Government
regulation is accepted now as not only
n safeguard to the public, but rs
conserving process TO the utility.
Financial credit is necessary to ply
steal rehabilitation and it should he
sufficient for the periods OF maximum
demand. We should not lose sight.
however, OF the vast possibilities of
supplementary service by water. The
Great Lakes and st. Lawrence navi-
CATION project, particularly, should
claim the interest of the government.
Federal Reserve System.
at is almost unnecessary to speak
OF the Federal Reserve system In con-
nection with the winning of the war,
rs. next TO the conservation Of our
manhood and womanhood Itself. the
greatest factor was the marshalllng
into one unit through the Federal Re-
serve banks of the stupendouS wealth
OF America To those OF vision who
look out beyond our shores into that
commercial domain where We are so
Justly entitled TO enter in time of
peace. latent power Of the Federal Re
serve system can be seen promoting in
every quarter Of the globe an ever
widening flow Of American commerce.
We will soon have merchant marine
fleet OF II 100000 tons aggregate, every
ship flying the American hag and
carrying IN American bottoms the pro-
ducts of mill and mine and factory and
farm This would seem 10 be Euar-
antee ~ continued prosperity. oar
facilities for exchange and credit, how
ever IN foreign parts. should be en-
larued and under the federal reserve
system. banks Shorld be established in
important trading centers.