The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-06-09

advCa chg pr.yA During the war cred
its have been enormously inflated and
there have ben lHrg" Addiuons 10 the
ourr"nCy through m" Federal Reserve
banks. Here II IS possible 10 check the
advance of prices 10y law. "" can pro-
Nld" for lhr control OF credits IN such
manner A. to give prctcrvn'" 10 the
most essential products. We are also
able IL reduce the amount Of the rlrCu-
latinS medium m the form or f'ederal
Reserve bank notes the authority having
been given during the war TO increase
the issue Of THESE notes from TWO bill
lions 10 folr billions II should h" one
Of IN" first acts OF congress to deal with
this essential point and II would nave
marked effect in reducing prices by
stoadying them and bringing them down
10 lower and more normal level.
Remedy Lies In Production.
The most potent remedy of all against
advances in the high cost Of living now
ever. hes in production. which cannot he
reached directly by statutes. If produc-
tiun begins 10 fail and fnll off, the cost
Of everything viii be advanced by the
simple force OF scarcity which newt
ably drives prices upward. The most
essential remedy for high costs Is 10
keep up and increase production ana
particularly should every effort be MADE
to advance the productivity or the
farms Just how much tho government
can do In this direction is uncertain
hut II can aid and support and n any
thing can he done il must not be omit
ted or overlooked At the same time u
must not be forgotten that There Is q
vast difference between the powers OF
the national government in time OF war
and those which II possesses IN time OF
peace The normal limitations OF times
of peace restrict very much IN" powers
Of the general government and In help
ing to increase tho productivity or tho
farms. which must be done through
party promises to use every power in
This direction whether within the state
or federal jurisdiction.
have touched upon this matter or
prices and the high cost Of living be-
cause il IL altogether the mosv import
ant domestic question now before the
country and one to which tho repubN-
can party should address itself without
delay in every direction where nclp Is
possible There are. of course. MS /
have said. many 'ther important econ
omic questions :" be dealt with, as
speedily as many be. but the time allot-
ted to me- makes 1t impossible TO touch
upon them all.
There Is. however. one measure which
cannot be passed over. single great
law which has been enacted and which
in any period would be sufficient TO dis
tinguish congress as one OF high accom-
plishment This is the railroaC act. For
ak months able committees In both
houses. committees where no party line
was drawn, toiled day after cay upon
this most intricate of problems. There
was much serious debate in boin senate
and house and then the bill, signed by
the president. became law. No DOUBT
time and experience will show that I'M
provcments in the act can be made. but
in the main II Is remarkable nie'c OF
leg!Sla ton and in general principles Is
entirely sound. and nothing could be
81 hn n
owners contending with the legacy or
mismanagement. waste and confusion
beuueathed by the government when II
returned the roads only three months
ago The railroad law possesses also
an Importance wholly distinct from It's
provisions which have been framed with
extreme care. This act declares ma
tional policy and. so far rs any raw can
do il, establishes that policy as rule
of action, The policy embodied in tho
bill comedies at the outset that II Is OF
course impossible TO return to the OLD
system or lack Of system IN the man
agcmcnt Of railroads. They must
henceforth hc under through govern
mentment supervision and also the gov
eminent must have over them large
measure Of control. The lransporta-
ton system Of the country can no longer
be suffered TO continue without snSn
supervision and control. But the policy
also represents the principle that Inc
government must not assume the own
crship Of the railroads. Their opera
tiOn and management must b" cert III
private ownership. The phras" GOV
that the government shall own the rall-
roads hu, also. Il is 10 he feared. that
those who run the railroads shall own
tho government. General government
ownership under our political system
would inevitably bring about the mas
~ AY,oH those VINO
operate the machinery OF transporta-
ton or Of any other industries winch
come into government possession. inc
rights OF the general public. lot Whon
all industries exist would disappear
under this scheme and nothing would be
left 10 the people except the GUY OF
paving taxes 10 support the roads. That
is very perilous position Tor repre-
sentative democracy. Our government
must not be dominated by any one man
or any class Or any selected pouE OF men
who represent a part OF Nh" people ana
United States. government ownership
wherever applied 10 an INDUSTRY
whether II involves transportation or
Geographic and telephone communica-
ton or shipbuildiug or manufacturers
IS a very inefficient and was'ern sys-
tenn, badly managed and certain TO be
intolc~ bly, burdcnsumC 20 the taNpa!
ers mis- point IT is no, necessary W
argue because the country through the
demands Of war turned the railroads
over TO the government and we have ma
the painful privilege Of observing the
performance which followed. The gov
eminent management which ensued was
inefficient. the railroads wcr" wretch
edly conducted and money was spent
and wasted with prodtgahty Wn'In
nothing can defend. During the time IN
which the government undertook 10
ha SUSTAINED
spite generous increase In lrelHht
rates a loss OF over million oollars
day and the total payments OUT OF inc
treasury To support the rdiIroauS nav
reached the enormous sum Oh one "''
three-Quarters billions Of dollars. mere
was universal disSatlSfa' tIon win INV
government management ana IL WIS -
Just dissatisfaction. The experiment
failed and should not be rcneXS1
From domestic affairs. which l nave
only touched upon briefly. let US turn 10
foreign questions. 10 our nations. l""ok
arst Al one OF the most pressing import
ancc Just beyond our own borders. LOON
AZ Mexico. For seven years the tnitrd
States has been pursuing under me az
rection Of the president poli.! W
'watchful waiting" The president sa"
At 10 intervene in Mexico. As a matter
OF fact he made war upon Mexico. l"r III
the taking OF Vera Cruz We iost some
leo men in killed and wounded ana sew
eral hundred unregarded. incIdchiaI
Mexicans were also either WOUNDED "t
killed in the conflict. W" went theIe 70
sxnrt an apology for the treatment or
some Of our sailors at TamPico. me
apology has never been given but Gen
eral Hucr;a was driven from power
which was the presidents real purpose;
and Mexico thrn f"ll into s'a'e ~.
anarchy which. ErowlnS C"ns'"t IT,
worsH. has continued to this day. me
president saw At to recognize Carranza.
who was chosen by a military. junta. as
political chief He thus furnished nm ~
sentIll support to the Carranza eor"r'.,
ment and what has been our nSnrod
Oyer 6nO Americans have been murdered
in Mexico, some under circumstances OF
great brutality. For these murders nj