Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1920-07-02
Prohibition Plank Absent In
Final Draft; Tribute Paid to
Leadership Of President


,shamefully outworn. Unification prac.
tices overcame these initial handicaps
and provided additions, betterments
and Improvements Economies en-.
abled operation without the rate raises
that private control would have found
necessary, and labor was treated with
an exact justice that secured the en-
\ thusiastic cooperation that victory de-
manded. The fundamental purpose OF
| federal control was achieved fully and
| splendidly, and with far less cost to
the taxpayer than would have been
] the case under private operation. In.
vestments in railroad properties were
not only saved by government opera
tions but government management re-
! tanned these properties vastly i'm
proved in every physical and executive
detail. A great task was greatly dis
charged.
Improved Highways.
Improved roads are of vital import
| try but also to agriculture and rural
life. The federal roads act of 1915,
enacted by a democratic congress, rep
resented the first systematic effort of
the governments to insure the building
of an adequate system of roads in this
country. The act, as amended, has re-
suited in placing the movement for
improved highways on a progressive
and substantial basis in every state i'll
the union and In bringing under actual
construction more than 13,00e miles of
dr. t<,sf Io fvaf dc aP a
communities in which they are located.
We favor a continuance Of the pres
ent federal aid plan under existing
federal and state agencies, amended
so as to include as one of the elements
in determining the ratio in which the
several states shall be entitled to share
in the funds, the area of any public
lands therein.
Inasmuch as the postal service has
been extended by the democratic par
ty to the door of practically every pro-
try (rural free delivery alone having
been provided for 100000 additional
patrons within the past eight years
without materially added cost we de-
clare that this instrumentality can and
will be used to the maximum of its
capacity to improve the efficiency Of
distribution and reduce the cost of liv-
ing to consumers while increasing the
profitable operations of producers.
We strongly favor the increased use
Of the motor vehicle in the transporta-
tion of the mails and urge the removal
of the restrictions imposed by the re-
publican congress on the use of mo-
tor devices in maintaining transporta-
ton in rural territories.
Merchant Marine.
We desire to congratulate the Amer
lean people upon the re-birth of our
merchant marine which once more
maintains its former place in the
world. 1t was under democratic ad-
that this was accomplish
ed after seventy years of indifference
and neglect, thirteen million tons hav-
ing 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
legislation so that American products
will be carried to all ports of the world
by vessels built in American yards,
flying the American flag.
Port Facilities.
The urgent demands of the war for
adequate transportation of war ma
+erial as well as for domestic need re-
yealed the fact that our port facilities
and rate adjustments were such as to
effect the whole country in
times of peace as we'll as war.
We pledge our party to stand for
equality of rates, both import and ex-
port, for the ports of the country. TO
he end that there may be adequate
md fair facilities and rates for the
of the products of the
offered for shipment.
Inland Waterways.
We call attention to the failure of
he republican national convention to
ecognize in any way the rapid devei-
,pment of barge transportation on our
inland waterways, which development
> the result of constructive policy of
he democratic administration. And We
hedge ourselves to the further devel-
pment of adequate transportation ia
.