The Washington times., 1920-07-27
institutions. are destroyed and de-
fled.
AGAINST CLASSES IN u. 3.

AGAINST tLAssEs IN u. ,.
Society 10 advance must be not a
dead form but living organism,
plastic, inviting progress. There
are no classes here. There are Diff
ferent occupations and different
stations, certainly there can be no
class OF employer and employed.
All true Americans are working for
each other. exchanging the results
Of the efforts Of hand and brain
wrought through the unconsumed
efforts OF yesterday, which we call
capital. all paying and being paid
by each other, serving and being
served. To do otherwise IL TO stand
disgraced and alien to our institu-
tions This means that govern
ment must look at the part In the
light OF the whole, that legislation
must be directed not for private IN
terest but for public welfare, ana
hat thereby alone will each OF our
citizens find their greatest accom-
plishment and success.
II the great conflict has disturbed
our political conditions II mas
caused an upheaval in our economic
relations. The mounting prices OF
all sorts OF commodities has put
well nigh unbearable burden on
every home. Much OF this is pe-
yond relief from law, but the FORCES
of the Government can and must
afford a considerable remedy.
The most obvious place to begin
retrenchment is by eliminating the
extrayagance of the Government
itself. In this the Congress mas
made a commendable beginning but
although the Congress makes the
appropriations, the departments
make the expenditures, which are
not under legislative but executive
control The eStravagant STANDARDS
bred OF recent years must De
eliminated. This should show i'm
mediately in reduced taxation.
REDUCED TAXATION.
That great breeder of public and
priyate extravaganza, the excess
profits tax, should be revised and
recourse had to customs taxes on
imports, one OF the most wholesome
of all means Of raising revenue. for
il liz voluntary in effect. and taxes
consumption rather than production.
II should be laid according to tho
needs of a creditor nation. for the
protection OF the public, with
nomically and defensively inde-
pendent.
A revision Of taxation must be &C
companied with reduction OF that
private extravaganza which the re-
turns from luxury taxes reveals as
surprising all comprehension. Waiv-
ing the moral effect. the economic
effect of such extravaganza is to
from essential industries, greatly
increasing the public distress and
unrest.
There has been prof,teering, 1t
should be punished because 1t is
wrong. But it is idle to look to
such action for relief. This class
profit by scarcity, but they do not
cause it.
As every one knows now. the diff
ficulty is caused by a scarcity of
material, an abundance Of money,
and insufficient production. The
Government must reduce the
amount of money as fast as it can
without curtailing necessary credits.
Production must be increased. All
easy to say but difficult of accom-
plishment.
INCREASED PRODUCTION.
One Of the chief hindrances to
production is lack of adequate rail-
road facilities. Transportation must
be reestablished, a few glaring in
stances in the past of improper
management Joined with an i'm
proper public attitude thereby cre-
ated. wrought great harm to our
railroads. Government operation
left them disintegrated, disorgan-
ized, and demoralized. On their
service depends agriculture and in
dustry-the entire public welfare.
They must be provided with credit
and capital and given the power
to serve. This can only be done by
removing them from speculation, re-
storing their prosperity by in
creased revenues where necessary,
thereby re.establishing them in the
confidence OF the investing public.
Their employees must be compen-
sated in accordance with the great
Importance Of the service they rem.
der. The whole railroad operation
must be restored to public con-
fidence by public support.
There must be a different public
attitude toward industry, a larger
comprehension of the interdepen-
dence of capital, management. and
labor, and better facilities for the
prompt and reasonable adjustment
Of industrial disputes. It is well
to remember, too. that high prices
produce their own remedy under the
law of supply and demand. Already
in the great leather and wooden in
dustries there is a recession in the
basic elements which must soon be
reflected in retail prices. When
buying stops prices come down.
POWER FOR FARMERS.
This condition has borne with es-
pecial severity on the agricultural
interests of the nation. To cope
with it the farmers need an en-
larged power of organization
whereby the original producer may
profit to larger degree by the high
prices paid for his produce by the
ultimate consumer, and at the same
time decrease the cost of food.
The economic strength of coun-
try rests on the farm. Industrial
activity is dependent upon 1t. 1t
replenishes the entire life of the
nation. Agriculture is entitled to
be suitably rewarded and on its
encouragement and success will de-