The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-06-10
Let 5 Begin Again

over it, and yet how poorly have We
prepared for this day Of trial.
While the war lasted the whole
power of the people and all their or
ganized energy were directed TO q
single object-the winning of the
war-and We had definite programs
of procedure. The Army and the
Navy had each a program The re-
lief work went according to definite
plans. We had a definite program
of food production and another OF
conservation. We lived for a COM
mon purpose, and We worked accord
ing to a definite program aimed at
perfectly definite and desired ends.
Now We are at loggerheads one
with another, and working at cross
purposes after a fashion that would
have lost any war. We are neither
producing with efficiency nor con-
suming with sanity. Any business
that should undertake to operate as
We are conducting our affairs. both
public and private, taken as whole,
would certainly go to smash. and that
right speedily.
Hindsight is always better than
foresight; but had we been wise We
would have held a great public con-
ference Immediately upon the cessa-
tion of hostilities, to take stock of
the situation. to take account OF the
state of the nation and to make a pro-
gram for reconstruction. just as we
met and made programs to meet the
conditions of a ten years war, should
the struggle continue that long.
Such conference would have no.
ted at once the disturbed condition
of manufacturing industry, especial
ly concerning such necessities as
housing, clothing and food. 1t would
have noted that practically no houses
had been built for some four years
or more. 1t would have noted that
thousands of working families were
now living in separate houses that
heretofore had herded in close quar-
ters. and that the shortage would at
once become acute when the demob-
ilized soldier brought his wife and
babies away from their fathers house
and sought again living quarters for
his restored family life. Seeing all
this, it would have laid down as the
first great activity the building Of
houses, whereas more has been said
about roads than about homes.
Such a conference would have no.
ted that the fibers of the country had
gone into uniforms and war material
and that four million men could ex-
change uniforms for civilian cloth
ing more rapidly than the readjust-
ment of manufacture could be made,
and it would have directed public
notice to the need for special atten-
tion to the clothing industry and to
economy in wearing apparel.
Such a conference would have no.
ted that in war thousands of young
men always leave the farm not to go
back, and it would have called upoL
the country for the most carefully
worked out program of food pro-
duction. 1t would have maintained
for time at least the machinery for
buying and Transporting the great es
sentials.
But nothing was done, and instead
of using our labor in the production
of essentials it went first of all into
such nonessentials as the manufac-
ture Of luXuries OF all sorts and ex-
pensiye clothing, not because they
were the goods most needed but sole
ly because orders were stacked high, |
because the public was bent upon a
holiday in celebration Of victory, be-
cause it would spend money like wa
ter and because an opportunity was
at hand to make profits in the man
ufacture of what the country wanted |
most-luxuries.
And we have lived in a FOOLS par
adise for over a year now, spending |
most of our public thought in try
ing to placate this group or that
group and keep it at work that we
might make more dollars and spend |
more money. while the very founda
tions Of a well-ordered economic life
were slowly breaking up.
II is not yet too late II instead
Of having so many investigations" to
find where small faults lie; II in
stead of so many commissions" and
boards" TO hear complaints and ad
just differences; if instead of spend
Ing our energies in finding fault-if
instead of all this, Congress or the
President, or the people in their civil
would call great national
for the purpose of making
and publishing a reconstruction pro-
gram, ii would do more to stop our
insane spending, our chickering's over
small matters, our speculations at
the expense of the future-it would
10 more to put US quickly on sound
economic basis than will ten years Of
his kind of blundering.
The world is full of men who can
make such a program, and here and
here is an individual banker or bus
ness man who raises his voice in
protest against present conditions.
What he says is sound, but it lacks
'filcial and public sanction and so
loes not get recognition.
Let's back up and begin over again