Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-08-07

maner as to keen the demand in excess
of that part Of the supply which is re-
leased from storage. This is an unfair
practice and should be stopped. Be
sides there should be time limit be-
yond which perishable foodstuffs should
not be stored. Every successful modern
business enterprise has its purchasing,
producing and selling departments. The
farmer has maintained only one, the
producing department. e..
It is not only fair that he be enabled
both to. purchase and to sell advan-,
tageously. but it is absolutely neces-
sary, because he has become competi-
tor with the manufacturer for labor.
He has been unable to compete in the
past and his help in Consequence has
been insufficient. 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 gov
ernment. Many of the branches OF the
government which deal remotely or dl-
rectly with the soil and its problems
and it's possibilities would be more valu-
able to the general welfare If the prac-
tical experience of the farmer were an
element in their administration. 10
be specific, the Interstate Commerce
Commission, the Federal Reserve
Board the Federal Trade Commission
and the United States Tariff Commits
sion are administered by business men.
Does any one contribute more to the
making and success of railroads, than
the farmer or to the creation ana pros
pcrity of the banks or TO the stabllltS
of manufacturing and trade units: or 10
the agencies interested in exporting!
Decrease in Tenantry Vital
Our objective should be a decreased
tenantry. With the period OF occu,
pancy uncertain, the renter strips lana
of it's fertile elements and each year
diminishcs our national assets. Under
the operation Of the Federal Reserve ana
the farm loan acts encouragement mas
come to thousands who find that INDUS
try. character and intelligence are Il
golden security to the peoples banker
the government of the United States:
Multiply our home owners and you VIII
make the way of the scditious agltator
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
running into the national current OF
patriotism. Help to equalize the bur
| dens of taxation by making the hold
rrs of hidden wealth pay tner share
with those whose property is in sight.
In short. remove the penalty imposed
upon home building thrift. and thou
sands of contentcd households. under
| the shelter of their own roof. will look
upon government with affection, rec
ognizing that in protecting it they pro-
tect themselves. There are more home
owners in America than ever before.
| The proSrerity of the ""u"trv under
Democratic rule has been widely diff
| fused. 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 own =
ers. Nothing will bring more golden
return to the welfare of the republic.
Common prudence would suggest that
we increase to our utmost our area of
tilablc land. The race between in
creased consumption and added 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 performing no service to
humanity They require only the ap-
piled genius of men to cover them with
the bloom and harvest of human neccs-
sites. The government should turn
it's best engineering talent to the task of
irrigation projects. Every dollar spent
will yield compensating results.
ANY discussion of the question OF
food supply leads very quickly to the
closely related matter of transportation.
There is no one thing which brings us
so internationally to critical conditions
as the inSufficicncy of. our transpor-
taton facilities. Both the railroads and
the public are to blame. There has been
no material addition to the total mile
age in the last ten years, and the in
crcsse in terminals has been much less
than required.
At the beginning of the war the roll =
ing 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 withheld because
of railroad policies that did not bring
approval. Many of these corporations
had made themselves part of politi
cal activities, local. state and national.
Then there were more or less sporadic
! instances of stock watering operations
and the exploitation of utility proper
ties for personal gain.
Abuses were not general, but they
were sufficient to bring the entire rail
road systems of the country in disrcpute
The good suffered with the evil. When
the transportation lines We're taken over
by the government they were barely able
to limp through the task of the day
Unity in operation and the merging OF
every mile Of track and terminal and
every car and engine into a co ordi
mated plan of operation enabled the gov
ernment to transport troops and sup
plies, at the same time affording, under
great stress, Il satisfactory outlet fol
: our industries.
1t should be remembered in this con
: nection that except for the motOrtrucl
which supplemented transportation b,
rail and except for the great pine line,
) which conveyed oil for commercial pur.
poses, we should not. in all probability
have been able to throw our decidin.
strength into the balance and win tn,
war. ANY attempt to discredit tn,
federal operation of railroads during tn,
years of grave emergency is unfair. Ii
the case of those who know the fact,
it is insincere. Too much cannot b,
said in praise of those who directed thi,
, work, nor, of the men who PHYSICAL,
operated the lines under the discourag
ing conditions of poor equipment.
, Railroad Problem Still Exists
But all of this is water over tn,
{ wheel. The problem of the railrood
| is still with us. The government an(
the public should render every 90,
: operation in the utmost good faith I,
give thorough test to private ownership
I The railroads have had their lesson
: Government regulation is accented nov