Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-22

of the United States.
/ to the welfare of the wape-earner. To us
| his good fortune is of depeest concern,
and we seek to make that good fortune
permanent We do not oppose but APP
prove collective bargaining. because that
| is an outstanding right, but we are un-
alterably insistent that its exercise must
not destroy the equally sacred right of
| the individual, in his necessary pursuit Of
| livlihood. Any American has the right
to quit his employment, so has every
| American the right TO seek employment
The group must not emdanger the IN
| dividual, and we must discourage groups
| proving upon one another, and none shall
| be allowed to forget that government
obligations are alike to all the people.
| hope we NAV do more than merely
discourage the losses ard sufTeriugs
attending industrial conflict The strike
against the government Is properly denied,
for government service involves none OF
the elements of profit which relate TO
competitive enterprise. There Is progress
in the establishment of official revealment
OF issues and conditions which lead 20
conflict. so that tmerring public sentiment
may speed the adjustment, but hope for
that concord Of purpose, not forced but
Inspired by the common veal, which will
give a regulated public service the fullest
guaranty of continuity ! am thinking
Of the railroads In modern life they arc
the very base Of all our activities and IN
terchanges For public projection We
have enacted laws providing for regtia-
tion of the charge for service, limitation
on the capital invested and limitation
on capitals earnings There remains
only competition of service. on which 10
base our hopes for an efficiency and eN-
pansion which meet our modern require
ments The railway workmen ought 70
he the best paid and Know tho best work
ing conditions in the world. Theirs Is
an exceptional responsibility. They are
not only essential to the life and health
and all productive activities Of the people,
but they are directly responsible for the
safety az travelling millions, The govern
mcpt which has assumed so much author
itv for the public good might well stamp
railway employment with the sanctity
Of public service ard guarantee to the
railway employees that irstice which voices
the American conception of righteousness
on the one hand, and assure continuity
of service on the other.
REHABILITATION or RAILWAYS.
The importance of the railway rehahili-
tation is SO obvious that reference seems
mcalled for We are so confident that
much of the present-day iasufhcIency
and irefficiency of transportation are due
j to the withering hand of government
operation that we emphasize anew our
opposition to government ownership, We
want 10 expedite the reparation, and
make sune the mistake Is not repeated.
IT is little use to recite the story OF de-
velopment exploitation, government ex-
4 F4Tlf
lkoneration and its failures. The made
Quacy of trackage and terminal facilities
the insufficlency Of equipment and the
ineffciencv of operation-all bear the
bllghting stamp OF governmental inca
paclty during federal operation he
work of rehabilitation under the res. ora
ton Of private ownership deserves our
best encouragement Billions are needed
in new equipment, not alone To meet the
growing demand for service, but TO re-
store the extraordinary depreciation due
to the strained service of war. With re-
stricted earnings and with speculative
profits removed, railway activities have
come TO the realm of conservative and
| constructive service, and the government
which impaired must play its part In res
toration. Manifestly the returns must
be SO gaugcd. that necessary capital may
|
as restrain.
PRESSING PROBLEM.
We have no more pressing problem.
state of inadequate transportation la
cilities mainly chargeable to the failure of
! governmental experiment Is losing mil
lions TO agriculture, 1t is hlnderlng IN
dustry, it Is menacing the American
people with fuel shortage little less than
q peril. 1t emphasizes the present-day
problem and suggests that spirit OF en-
couragement and assistance which COM
mits all America to relieve such an emer-
gency.
The one compensation amid attend
ing anXletieS is our new and needed rea-
lization of the vital part transportation
PLAYS in the complexities of modern life.
We are not to think of rails, alone, but
highways from farm to market, from rail-
way to farm, arteries of lfe-blood to pres
ent-day life the quickened ways to COM
munication and exchange, the snswer OF
our people to the motor age. We believe IN
generous federal cooperation IN construc-
ton, linked with assurances OF malnte-
nance that will put an end to criminal
waste of public funds on the one hand and
give a guaranty of upkept highways on
the other.
Water transportation is inseparably
linked with adequacy OF iacihtles and we
favor American eminence on the seas,
the practical development of inland water
days. the up-building and coordination
of all to make them equal to and ready for
every call of developing and widening
American commerce. | like that recon-
initial to thoughts of America first which
pledges the Panama canal, an American
creation, TO the free use of American
shipping 1t will add to the American
reawakening.
HIGH COST OF LIVING.
One cannot speak of industry and COM
merce, and the transportation on which
they are dependent without an earnest
thought of the abnormal cost of living and
the problems in its wake. 1t is easy to
inveigh, but that avails nothing And
it is far too serious to dismiss with fam
ipg but futile promise.
Eight years ago, In times of peace, the
Democratic party made it an issue, and
when clothed with power that party came
near to its accomplishment by destroying
the peoples capacity to buy. But that