The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-08-08

WHO find that industry. character
ana intelligence are n golden security
TO the peoples banker. the govern
ment Of the United States. Multiply
our home ana you VIII make
the way of the seditious agitator
more difficult Bring into the picture
Of American life more families, hap.
PLY a part of garden and flowers
all their own, ard you will find new
streams running into the national
current of patriotism. Help to equal
ize the burdens OF taxation by max
ing the holders of hidden wealth pay
their share with those whose property
is in sight. In short. remove the
penalty imposed upon BODYBUILDING
thrift, and thousands of contented
households under the shelter of their
own roof. will look upon government
with affection, recognizing that in
protecting it. they protect themselves.
There are more home owners in Am
erica than ever before. The pros
perity Of the country under demo
cratic rule has been widely dIffused.
Never before has the great mass Of
the people shared in the blessings Of
plenty. There is much to be done,
however, in multiplying cur home
owners. Nothing VIII bring more
golden return to the welfare Of the
republic.
Land Reclamation Necessary
Common prudence would suggest
that We increase to our utmost, our
area Of tilable land. The ace be-
tween acreage has been an unequal
one. Modern methods of soil treat
ment have been helpful. but they
have Their limitations. There are
still vast empires in extent, in Il
country, performing no service to
humanity. They require only the
applied genius of men, to cover them
with the bloom and harvest of hu
man necessities. The government
should turn its best engineering talent
TO the task of irrigation projects.
Every dollar spent will yield com
pensating results.
Transportation and Food Supply
Any discussion of the question OF
food supply leads very quickly TO the
closely related matter of t%ransporta-
ton. There is no n thing which
brings us so internationally to critical
conditions thar the insufficiency OF
our transportation facilities. Both the
railroads and the public area are to
blame. There has been no material
addition to 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 vas sadly reduced
and Inadequate. The public had not
given in pay for service, sufficient
on which credit could be al
lowed by the banks. Moral assistance
was withheld because of railroad poll
cies that did not bring approval. Many
of these corporations had made them
salves a part of political activities,
local. state and national. Then there
were more or less sporadic instances
of stock-watering operations and the
exploitation Of utility properties Tor
personal gain. Abuses We're not gen
eral, but they were sufficient to bring
the entire railroad systems of the
country in disrepute. When the trans
portation lines were taken over by
the government, they were barely
able to limp through the task of the
day. Unity in operation. the cam
ination of the long haul, and the
merging of every mile Of track and
terminal and every car and engine
into a co-ordinated plan of opera
enabled the government to trans
port troops and supplies, at the same
time affording, under great stress a
satisfactory outlet for our industries
1t should be remembered in this con
ncction tina except for the motor
which supplemented transporta-
ton by rail and except for the Sret'
pine lines which conveyed oil for com
mercial purposes. we should not, in
all probability have been able TO
throw our deciding strength INTO the
balance ard win the war.
Criticise Government Control Unfair
Anv attempt TO discredit the federal
operatlon of railroads during the years
grave emergency is unfair. In ire
case of those who know the facts II Is
~insincere. Too much cannot be sald
i'm praise of those who directed TINS
work. nor of the men who physically
the lines under the discoura
conditions of poor equipment. but
all Of this is water over the wheel
The problem of the railroads is still
with us. The government and the
public should render every co-opera-
tion in the utmost good faith, to give
thorough test 10 private ownership
The railroads nave had their lesson.
Government regulation Is accepteu
now as not only a safeguard 10 the
nublic. but as a conserving process 10
the utility. Financial credit is neces-
sary to physical rehabilitation ana 1t
should be sufficient for the perlods
Of maximum demand. We shoulu
not lose sight. however OF Inc vast
possibilities of supplementary serV'
ice by water. The Great Lakes ana
st. Lawrence navigation project par
ticularly. should claim the interest OF
the government. About one'third Oh
u states would be supplied with an
outlet for every ton Of their exports
The opportunity to make of the lake
harbors great ocean ports or entry
Is inspiring 10 contemplate. In the
cropmoving period, the call on the
railroads is staggering. Grain piles
I'D in the elevators. With stagnatlon
more or less general, the farmer sells
his product under the most unfavor-
able conditions. The trackage ana
the terminals in middle states par
ticulariy, are clogged with this tra1-
fic and interference with local move
ments Of freight is inevitable Inc
solution would be slmplified by uuliz-
ing the waterways. Aside from THIS
the accruing gain from every crop
would be a consideration for the e
on that the price Of grain IN TINS
country is made by the Chicago mark
ct and it is determined by the London
quotations. The price, in the British
metropolis is a stated figure less the