Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1920-07-08

that tn6 TASK may De tEtAI0U rs =
whole. and this machinery Of protee-
ltion and assistance must receive every
sary to fuli ana etiective operation.
viea er,sisF s1a can rs 81 hsnsr
4 American citizen than TO become 2
freebooter In the soil Of the United
\ States, and 70 that end we pledge our
/ Elements and home aid Legislation
j Iw Itch will AFFORD to the men who
| fought for America the opportunity 10
! become land and home owners under
1 'ment assistance uninoumbered ey
needless Sdifficulties of red tape or adj
| vance financial Investment.
! The Railroads.
/ The railroads were subjected to fed
fefal control as war measure withOuI
Y other idea than the swift transport o.
troops munitions and supplies When
q, human life and national hopes were e
stake, profits could not be considered.
| ever. was marked by an intelliRence
land efficiency that minimixed loss and
! resulted IN many and marked REFORMS.
The equipment taken over was not
fully outworn. Indication practices
'oyercame these initial handicnps ana
provided additions betterments and
improvements. Economies enabled OBJ
GRAFTON without the rate raises that
private control would have round
necessary, and labor was treated
with an exact Justice that secured the
demanded. The fundamental purpose
of federal control was achieved fully
and splendidly. and at far less cost
to the taxpayer than would nave
been the case under private operation.
Investments in railroad properties Were
not only saved by government operation,
but government management returned
these properties vastly imProyed IN ar eSt
task was greatly discharged.
The presidents recommendation OF re-
turn to private ownership gave the he-
publican majority full year In when
to enact the necessary legislation. The
house took six months to formulate It's
ideas and another six months was con-
sumed by the Republican senate in equal
ly vague debate. AS consequence, the
'Esch- Cummins bill went to the president
in the closing hours of congress, and ne
was forced to q choice between the chaos
of veto and acquiescence in the meas
ure submitted, however grave may have
been his objections to 1t.
There should be q fair and complete
test of the law until careful and mature
action by congress may cure its defects
and insure thoroughly effective trans
portation system under private owner
ship without government subsidy at the
expense of the taxpayers of the country. 1
improved Highways.
Improved roads are of vital Importance
not only to commerce and industry but
also to agricultural life. The federal road
act of 1916, enacted by Democratic con-
gress represented the first systematic ef-
fort of the government to insure the
building of an adequate system of roads
in this country. The act as amended, has
resulted in placing the movement for inn
proved highways In progressive and |
substantial basis in every state in the |
Union and in bringing under actual con-
struction more than IL 900 miles of roads |
suited to the traffic needs of the COM |
munities in which they are located.
We favor a continuance of the present |
federal aid plan under existing federal |
and state agencies, amended so as to in |
clude as one of the elements in deter |
lining the ratio in which the several states |
shall be entitled to share In the fund. ,
the area of public lands therein.
Rural Free Delivery.
Inasmuch as the postal service has been |
extended by the Democratic party to the |
door of practically every producer and |
every consumer in the country (rural free |
delivery alone having been provided for |
6,OO0, 900 additional patrons within the past |
eight years without material added cost, |
we declare that this fundamentally can |
and will be used to the maximum of its |
capacity to improve the efficiency of dis /
tribution and reduce the cost of living to
consumers and increasing the profitable \
operations of producers
Merchant Marine.
We desire to congratulate the American
people upon the reblrth OF our merchant
marine, which once more maintains It's
former place in the world. 1t was under |
Democratic administration that this
was accomplished after seventy years of
indifference and neglect. 100000 tons
having been constructed since the act |
was passed in 1916. We pledge the policy
OF our party to the continued growth OF
our merchant marine under proper legis-
latiSn SO that American products will be
carried to all ports of the world by ves-
sells built in American yards. flying the
American flag.
Inland Waterways. !
We call attention to the failure of the
Republican national convention to recog-
nize in any way the rapid development OF
barge transportation on our inland wa
terways, which development is the result
of the constructive policies of the Demo-
cratic administration. And we pledge our
selves to the further development of ade.
quate transportation facilities on our riv-
ers and to the further Improvement of
our inland waterways. and we recognize
the Importance of connecting the Great
Lakes with the sea by way OF the Mis-
sisslppi river and its tributaries. as well
as by the st. Lawrence river.
transportation remains an increasingly
vital problem in the continued develop
ment and prosperity of the nation. Our
present facilities for distribution by rail
are inadequate and the promotion of |
by water is imperative |
We therefore favor a liberal and compre- |
hensive policy for the development and
of our harbors and interior
Flood Control.
We commend the Democratic congress
for the redemption Of the pledge contained
In our last platform by the passage OF
the flood contoi act of March i, 1917, and
point to the successful control of the
floods of the Mississippi river and the Sac-I
ramento river. California, under the poll
icy of that law, for It's complete justihca-
ton. We favor the extension of this poll
Icy to other flood control problems wher-
ever the federal interest involved justi-
fies the expenditure required.
Reclamation OF Arid Lands.
By wise legislation and progressive ad-
we have transformed the
government reclamation projects, repre-
senting an investment of 800, 0O0, 900. from
a condition OF impending failure and loss
of confidence In the ability of the govern
ment to carry through such large enter
prises. to a condition of demonstrated sue
cess, whereby formerly arid and wholly
lands now sustain 40 900 pros
porous families and have an annual cron
production of over 5000 600, not including
the crops grown on a million acrep out
side the projects supplied with storage
water from government works
We favor ample appropriations for the
and extension of this great
work Of home building and Internal inn
provement along the same general lines |
to the end that all practical projects shall
be built, and waters now running to waste |