The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-08-07

! consumer in such manner az to keep
the demand in excess OF that part of
the supply which Is released from
storage. This is an unfair practice
! and should ibe stopped. Besides,
there should be time limit beyond
which perishabIe foodstuffs should
not be stored. Every successful mod
ern business enterprise has its pur-
+ chasing. producing and selling de-
partments. The farmer has main
| tanned only one, the producing de-
partment. It is not only fair that he
be enabled both to purchase and to
sell advantageously, but it Is abso-
lutely necessary because he has be-
come competitor with the manu-
| facturer for labor. He has been I'M
able to compete in the past and his
help in consequence has been in
sufficient Therefore the right Of CO.
operative purchasing and selling in
/ the modern view, should be removed
from all question. Agricultural
/ thought has not been sufficiently
represented in affairs of government
| Many of the branches of the govern
ment which deal remotely or directly
!
its possibilities would be more valu-
able to the general welfare If the
practical experience of the farmer
were an element in their administra-
; ton. To be specific, the Interstate
| Commerce Commission, the Federal
Reserve Board, the Federal Trade
| Commission and the United States
! Tariff Commission are administered
by the business men. Does anyone
/ contribute more to the making ana
success Of railroads than the farmer or
to the creation and prosperity of the
| banks, or to the trade units, or to the
agencies interested in exporting?
Our collective shouid be de-
creased tenantry. With the period OF
occupancy uncertain, the renter
| strips land OF its fertile elements.
and each year diminishes our nation
al assets Under the operation OF the
| Federal Reserve and the Farm Loan
acts encouragement has come to
thousands who find that industry,
character and intelligence are gold
| en- security to the peoples banker
! the government of the United States.
| Multiply our home owners, and you
! win make the way Of the sed1tous
agitation more difficult. Bring into
the picture OF American life more
/ families, happily a part OF garden
and flowers all their own and
| you will find new streams run
! ming into the national current OF pa
| triotism. Help to equaltze the bur
dens Of taxation by making the hold
ers of hidden wealth pay their share
with those whose prosperity is lin
! sight In short. remove the penalty
| imposed upon home-building thrift
and thousands of contented house
| holds under the shelter Of their own
roof will look upon government with
! affection, recognizing that in protect
! ing it, they protect themselves.
! There are more home owners in
/ America than ever before. The pros
perity Of the country under demo
! cratic rule has been widely dffused.
Never before has the great mass OF
the people shared in the blessings OF
plenty. There is much to be done,
/ however, in multiplying our home
owners. Nothing will bring more
golden return to the welfare OF the
republic.
Common prudence would suggest
area of til1able land. The race be-
tween increased consumption and ad-
ded acreage has been an unequal one.
! Modern methods of soil treatment
have been helpful, but they have
their limitations. There are still vast
empires in extent, in our country, per
! forming no service to humanity.
! They require only the applied genius
| !, a hInnDn
and harvest of human necessities.
! The government should turn its best
engineering talent to the task OF lrrl-
CATION projects. Every dollar spent
/ will yield compromising results.
Food Supply.
Any discussion of the question or
| food supply leads very quickly to the
closely related matter of transporta-
! ton. There is no one thing which
! brings US so inteTmittently to critical
| conditions than the insufficiency OF
our transportation facilities. Both the
railroads and the public are to blame
There has been no material addition
to the total mileage in the last ten
wears. and the increase in terminals
has been much less than required
At the beginning Of the war, the
rolling stock was sadly reduced and
Inadequate The public had not given
in pay for service, sufficient reven-
ues on which credit could be allowed
bv the banks Moral assistance was
withheld because of railroad policies
that did not bring approval. Many OF
these corporators had made them
selves a part of politictl activities,
local, state and national Then there
were more or less sporadic instances
Of stock-watering operations, and the
explorations of utility properties for
personal gain Abuses were not gcner-
al, but they were sufficient to bring
the entire railroad systems Of the
country in disrepute. The good suf-
fered with the evil. When the trans
portation lines were taken over by
the government, they were barely
able to limp through the task OF the
dav. Unity in operation. the elimina-
ton 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 operation, enabled
the government to transport troops
and supplies, at the same time afford