The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-07-09
AS THE EDITOR SEES TT.

Ao ANL LUllON 0ALo AAs
During our recent visit to Boston
We could not help but be impressed
with the fact that that sentire sec
tion seemed TO be sustained chiefly by
their great manufacturing industries.
The northwest and central west sup
plying the raw materials for their
tanneries and shoe factories and wool
en- mills and the southern states the
Gotten for their immense cotton mills.
and then to reship the finished pro
ducts back to the states furnishing
the raw materials. This system, to
our humble mind, seemed to be all
wrong and foolish and really great
source OF waste. Why not build
WOODEN mills, shoe factories and tan
neries right out here on these plains
where the raw materials are produced
and manufacture them into the finish
ed products, and why not the south
build mills and manufacture their cot
ton into cloth. II would tend to die
tribute the population n4ore evenly
over the states, and the profits de
rived from the manufacture Fl these
raw materials would add to the wealth
of the state where the raw materials
are produced. The east and the larg
er industrial centers seem 10 be terri
bly, contested, and they are confront
ed with more or less labor troubles
at all times. By scattering the man
ufacturing industries over tho various
states where the raw materials are pro
duced, it would help TO relieve the
congested condition in the east, it
would eliminate at least one half or
one third Of the transportation charg
es and would help to relieve the rail
roads that are now burdened with
more traffic than they can convenient
ly handle. In our humble opinion,
the system OF producing raw material
and manufacturing them into the fin
ished prc5act ia these United States
could be considerably improved with
advantage to the producer. mauufac
turer and consumer.
Experts are telling Us that the coun
try will be short of coal this winter
because the mining companies can not
get freight cars enough for shipping
the coal to the distributing points.
Go into any big railroad yard in the
country and you will see thousands
and thousands Of cars standing on
side trackS waiting to be unloaded.
In NUMEROUS cases they have been
standing many days, possibly weeks,
yet no apparent attempt is being made
to unload them. Even in small towns
you will find cars standing day after
day. This condition is one great cause
for the shortage in rail transportstio q
II is the reason why the mines are not
putting more coal on the market. It
is the reason why many people will
freeze next winter If coal is not moved
more rapidly, II would be an easy
matter to correct this disgusting con
dition Of affairs. The government
could take one great railroad center as
an example. It could send secret
service operatives to that city to check
up on the idle cars, and the cause for
such idlensss. An explanation could
be demanded of the railroad company
If the railroad company could not give
a legitimate reason, the officials should
be punished-jailed II possible. IF
not the fault of the company and the
consignee 10 responsible, he should be
punished--jailed il possible. And If
government officials whose duty il is
to prosecute such offenders show an
inclination to delay or evsde the is
sue because some "prominent people"
are involved, the president should re
move then from Office and otherwise
punish them-jail the shirking prose
cutors, il possible. One such shakeup
az an example would be sufficient.
Cars would begin TO move everywhere
and would keep on moving. And peo
pie could keep warm next winter
which is doubtful under present con
ldifioua