Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-08-08

sufficiently represented In affairs OF
government. Many or tho branches
OF the government which deal re.
motely or directly with the soil and
its problems and It's possibilities
would BIO moro valuable 70 tho gen
eral welfare IL tho practical expert
ehce or tho farmer were an element
IN their administration. TO be spuci-
Tic, the Interstate Commerce Commits
SION, the Federal Reserve Board. the
Federal Trade Commission and the
United states Tariff Commission are
administered by business men. Does
anyone contribute more TO the max
ing and SUCCESS of railroads than the
FARMER or TO he creation and pros
peritS of the banks, or TO the sta
Dllity OF manufacturing and trade
UNITS. or 10 tho agencies Interested
In exporting?
our objective should be a dccrcaacd
tcnantry. with the period OF occu.
pancy uncertain. the renter strips
land or It's fertile clements. and each
year diminishcs our national assets
Under the operation or the Fedora,
Deserve and the Farm Loan acts, en-,
couragcm"r; has come to Thousand,
VINO ma that industry. character ana
ihtelHsence arc Il golden security u
The peoples banker, the government,
Of the United States. Multiply our
home owners. and you viii make the
way or the scdit!ous ag!tator more
diiiicult. Bring into the picture o.
American life moro families. hnppiI,
own. and you will lind new stream,
running into the national currcnt a,
patriotism.
Help to cqualizo the burdens O.
taxation By making the holders OF
hidden wealth pay their share viii
those whose property Is in sight. i,
short. remove the penalty inposet
upon home building thrift. and thou.
sands or contentcd households under
tho shelter OF their own roof vii
a. n ~ NJ "a ~.
recognizing that In protecting Il, ehcy
protect themselves. There are more
home owners in America than ever
before. The prosperity OF the coun.
try under Democratic rule has beer
widely dinuscd. Never before has
the great mass OF tho people shared
in the blessings OF plenty. There i.
much TO be done. however. in multi
will bring more golden return TO tn.
welfare OF the republic
Wants More T'ilinbic Land.
Common prudence would suggcs,
that We increase to our utmost our
area of tiliablc land. The race be.
tween Increased consumption and
added acreage has been an UNEQUAL
one. Modern methods OF soil ,r.a;.
ment have been helpful, but they have
their limitations. There are still vas;
empires In extent. in our country
performing no service TO humanity
al U
OF men. to cover them with the bloom
and harvest OF human nccess!tics
The government should turn It's best
engineering talent 70 the task OF
spent viii yield cotnpcnsat!ng re-
suits.
Any discussion OF tho question OF
food supply leads very quickly 10 the
closely related matter Of trnnsporyI-
ton. There is no one thing when
lFl VI ir.ta L. , r.,I
cal conditions than the insuliciency
OF our transportation facilities. Both
the railroads and the public are tc
blame. There has been no material
last ten years. and the increase In
terminals has been much less than
required. At the beginning OF the
war. tho rolling stock was sadly re-
not given in pay for service. SUM
Client revenues on which credit could
be allowed by the banks Moral as.
sistance was withheld because OF
railroad policies that did not b-inS
approval. Many OF these corpora
lions had made themselves a par, o,
political activities. local. State and
national
HccalI. RnIlrond Abuses.
Then there were more or less spora-
die Instances OF stock-watering opera
lions. and the exploitation OF utility
were not general. but they were suiii-
Gent 10 bring the entire railroad sys-
TENS OF the country in d!srrputc. The
good suffered with the evil. when the
by the government, they were barely
able TO limp through the task OF the
day. Unity In operation, the elm
ination OF the long haul and the
terminal and every ear and engine
into y cO-ordinated plan OF opera
ton, enabled the government to trans
port troops and supplies. at the same
time aNording. under great stress. n
satisfactory outlet for our industries
1t should be remembered in this con-
nection that cxcept for the motor
truck which supplemented ;ranspor-
great pine lines which conveyed oil
for commercial purposes, we should
not, in all probability have been
able 10 throw our deciding strength
into the balance and win the war.
Praises Direction or RoRdA,
Any attempt 10 dlscredit the Fed
eral operation of railroads during the
years OF grave emergency Is unfair
In tho case OF those who know the
facts 1t is insinccre. Too much can
not be said in praise OF those who
directed this work, nor of the men
who physically operated the lines
under the discnurasins conditions OF
poor equipment But all OF this is
water over the wheel. The problem
OF the railroads is still with us. The
government and the public should
render every co operation in the ut
most good faith, TO give thorough
test to private ownership. The rail
roads have had their lesson. Gov
ernmcnt regulation is accepted now
as not only q safeguard to the public
but as a conserving process to the
utility. Financial credit Is necessary
to physical rehabilitation and II
should be sufficient for the periods OF
maximum demand.
We should not lose sight, however
OF the vast possibilities OF supple
mcntary service by water. The Great
Lakes and st. Lawrence navigation
project, particularly, should claim the
interest of the government. About
onc-third OF our States would he sup
their exports. The opportunity IA
make of the lake harbors great ocean
ports of entry is inspiring to con
template. In the crop-moving period
the call on the railroads is staggor-
ing. Grain piles UP in tho elevators
with stagnation more or less general
the farmer sells his product under the
most unfavorable conditions. The
trackage and the terminal sin middle
States particularly, are cloSgcd with
this traffic and interference with local
movements Of freight Is inevitable
ShouId Utilize waterways.
The solution would he SimDlified by
utilizing the waterways. Aside from
this. the accruing gain from every
reason that the price OF grain In this
country is made by tho Chicago mar
kct and II is determined by the Lon
don quotations. The price in the
British metropolis is a stated figure
less tho cost of transportation. The