Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-08

prices by law. We AN provide for
tho control Of credits In such man
ner as to give preference to the
most. essential products. We are also
able to reduce tho amount of the
circulating medium in Tho form Of
thority having been given during the
wal to increase the issue Of these
notes from two billions to four bill
liona 1t should be one Of tho first
acts Of congress to deal with this es-
sential point and 1t would have a.
marked effect in reducing prices by
steadying them M bringing them
level. & q, yH ,.
Remedy IAes IN Production.
The most potent remedy Of all
against advances In the high cost Of |
living, however, lies in production, |
which cannot be reached directly by |
statutes. If production begins to
fail and fall OF, the cost Of every |
thing win be advanced by the simple
force Of scarcity which inevitably
sential remedy for high costs is to
keep up and increase production and
particularly should every effort be
made to advance tho productivity of
the farms. Just how much the gov
eminent can do in this direction Is
uiACoItdLl, OuC IL can ala ana sup.
port and If anything can be done 1t
mnst not be omitted or overlooked.
At the same time 1t must not be for
gotten that there is q vast difference
between the powers Of the national
government In time of war and those
which it Possesses in time Of peace.
The normal limitations Of times Of
Of the general government and in
helping to increase the productivity
OF the farms, which must be done
through government action, the Re-
publican party promises to use every
power In this direction whether with
In the state or federal Jurisdiction.
have touched upon this matter
Of prices and the high cost Of living
because it is altogether the most inn
portant domestic question now be-
fore the country and one to which
the Republican party should address
itself without delay in every direc-
ton where help is possible. There
are, Of course. as I have said. many
other important economic questions
to be dealt with. as speedily as may
be, but the time allotted to me makes
it impossible to touch upon them
all.
There is, however, one measure
which cannot be passed ove 4 single
great law which has been enacted
and which in any period would be
sufficient to distinguish a congress
as one Of high accomplishment. This
is the railroad act. For six months
able committees in both houses. COM
mittees where no party line vas
drawn, toiled day after day upon this
most intricate Of problems There
was much serious debate In both sem
signed by the president, became lAw.
No doubt time and experience will
show that improvements In the act
can be made, but in the main it ID
a remarkable piece Of legislation
and in general principles is entirely
sound, and nothing could be more
unfair than to criticize the present
of mismanagement. waste and on
fusion bequeathed by the govern
ment. when it returned. the roads
only three months ago. The rail-
road law possesses also an import
ance wholly distinct from its provt-
sions, which have been framed with
extreme care. This act declares a
law can do it. ebaablisheA that policy
as a.rule, Of action. The policy en-
bodied in the bin comedies at the out
set that it is Of course impossible
to return to the old system or lack
OF system in the management of rail-
iooOS. A41ey LlOSL ueuCeIOItn DC uu"
der thorough government supervision
and also the government must have
over them a large measure Of con
troll. h transportation system of
the country can no longer be suffered
to continue without such supervision
and control. But the policy also rep
resents the principle that the govern
of the railroads, Their operation and
management must be left in private
ownership. The phrase government
ownership" means not only that the
government shall own the railroads
but also, it is to be feared. that those
who u the railroads shall own tho
government: General government
would inevitably bring about the mas
terry of the government by those who
operate the machinery of transporta-
ton or Of n other industries which
come into government possession.
The rights Of the general public, for
whom all industries exist, would dis
appear under this scheme and MOTH
the duty Of paying taxes 10 support
the roads. That is a very perilous
position for a representative democ-
racy. Our government must not be
dominated by any one man or any
class or any selected body Of men
"HO represent 4 p3rt OF the people
and not h whole people. Moreover.
in h United States. government own
ership wherever applied to an indus
try, whether it involves ~transporta-
ton or telegraphic and telephone
communication or shipbuilding or
manufacturing. is = very inefficient
and wasteful system. badly managed
and certain to be intolerably burden
some to the taxpayers. This point
it is not necessary to argue because
the country through the demands Of
war turned the railroads over to the
government and We have had the
painful privilege Of observing the
performance which. followed. Tho
government management which en-
sued was inefficient. the railroads
were wretchedly conducted and mon
ey was spent and wasted with .
prodigality which nothing can de-
fend. During the time in which the
government undertook to manage the
railroads they sustained despite . zen.
erous increase in freight rates and
the total payments out Of the treas
ury to support the railroads have
reached the enormous sum Of n and
three quarters billions OF dollars.
There was universal dissatiafaction
with tho government management and
it was a Just dAnuGlaction. The