Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-07

ES M. cox.
ties. municipalities must in large
measure interest themselves in il
not directly control community
markets. This is a matter of such
Importance that the federal govern
ment can profitably expend money
and effort in helping to evolve meth
DDS and to show their virtues. The
farmer raises his crop and the price
which he receives is determined by
supply and demand. His products in
beef and pork and produce pass into
cold storage and ordinarily when
they reach the consumer the law of
supply and demand does not obtain.
The preservation of foodstuffs by
cold storage is a boon to humanity
and it should be encouraged.
However, the time has come for its
v1gilant regulation, and inasmuch as it
becomes part of interstate commerce,
the responsibility is with the federal
government Supplies are gathered in
| from the farm in times of plenty. They
| can easily be fed out to the consumer
in such manner as to keep the demand
| in EXCESS of that part of the supply
which is released from storage. This
1 is an unfair practice and should be
1 time limit beyond which perishable
foodstuffs should not be stored. Every
successful modern business enterprise
has its purchasing, producing and sell
| ing departments. The farmer has main
tanned only one, the producing depart
ment. 1t is not only fair that he be
| enabled both to purchase and to sell
| advantageously, but it is absolutely
| necessary, because he has become a
! competitor with the manufacturer for
labor. He has been unable to compete
in the past and his help in consequence
4 fpe toS MI
! right of cooperative purchasing and
| selling in the modern view should be
removed from all question. Agricul-
| tural thought has not been sufficiently
represented in affairs of government.
Many of the branches of the govern
with the soil and it's problems and its
| possibilities would be more valuable to
| the general welfare if the practical ex-
perience of the farmer were an ele-
ment in their administration. To be
specific. the Interstate Commerce Com
| mission, the Federal Reserve Board.
| the Federal Trade Commission and the
United States Tariff Commission are
administered by business men. Does
any one contribute more to the making
| and success of railroads than the farm
| er or to the creation and prosperity
or the banks, or to the stability of
| manufacturing and trade units, or to
the agencies interested in exporting
Farm LOnns Will
| Decrease Tenantry.
Our objective should be & decreased
tenantry. With the period of occu-
pancy uncertain, the renter strips
| land of it's fertile elements, and each
year diminishes our national assets.
Under the operation of the federal
| reserve and the farm loan acts en-
couragement has come to thousands
who find that industry, character and
intelligence are golden security to
| the peoples banker. the government
OF the United States. Multiply our
home owners, and you will make the
way of the seditious agitaror more
difficult. Bring into the picture of
American life more families, happily
part of garden and flowers all their
own, and you will find new streams
running into the national current of
patriotism. Help to equalize the
| burdens of taxation by making the
holders of hidden wealth. pay their
share with those whose property ia
in sight. In short. remove the PEN
atty imposed upon home-building
| thrift. and thousands of contented
households under the shelter of their
own roof will look upon government
with affection: recognizing that in
protecting 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 diffused
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 g the welfare of the
republic.
Common prudence would suggest
area of tillable land. The race be-
tween increased consumption and
added acreage has been been an un-
equal one. Modern methods of soil
treatment have been helpful but they
have their limitations. There are still
vast empires in extent, in our coun-
try, performing no service to human
ity They require only the applied
genius of men. to cover them with
the bloom and harvest of human ne
cessities. The government should turn
it's best engineering talent to the
dollar spent will yield compensating
results.
Any discussion Of the question of
food supply leads very quickly to
the closely related matter of trans
portation. There is no one thing which
brings us so internationally 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
years, and the increase in terminals
has been much less than required. At
the beginning of the war the rolling
stock was sadly reduced and made
/! quate. The public had not given in
pay for service. sufficient revenues
on which credit could be allowed by
the banks. Moral assistance was with
held because of railroad policies that
did not bring approval. Many of these
corporations had made themselves a
part of political activities. local. state
and national. Then there were more
or less sporadic instances of stock
watering operations, and the exploit
fation Of utility properties for per-
sonal gain, Abuses were not general,
but they were sufiicient to bring the
entire railroad systems of the coun-
try in disrepute. -
The good suffered with the evil.
When the transportation lines were
taken over by the government they
were barely able to limp through the
task of the day. Unity in operation,
the elimination of the long haul and