Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-02

demanded. The fundamental purpos'
OF Federal control was achieved fully ant
splcndidly and at far less cost To the Ia,
payer than would have been the cass
under private operation. Investment
in railroad properties were not only saved
by government operation but government
management returned these properties
vastly improved in every possible way, Oh,
great task was greatly discharged.
Tho Presidents recommendation oi
return TO private ownership gave tn,
Republican majority full year in which
to enact the necessary legislation. Ths
House took six months 20 formulate IL
ideas and another six months was taker
by the Republican Senate in equally
vague debate. As n consequence the
Esch-Cummins bill went 20 the President
in the closing hours Of Congress and he
WAS forced To choice between the chaos
OF veto and acqiiescence in the measure
submitted, however gave his objections
to il.
There should be fair and complete
test OF the law until careful and mature
action by Congress may cure its defects
and insure a thoroughly effective trans
| portatIon system, under private owner
ship without government subsidy at tho
expense OF taxpayers Of the country.
IMPROVED HIGHWAYS.
Improved roads are Of vital Importance
not only to commerce and industry but
also to agriculture and rural life. The
Federal road act of 1914, enacted
Democratic Congress, represented the
first systematic effort of the government
TO insure the building Of an adequate sys-
| TEN of roads in this country. The act,
as amended, has resulted in placing the
movement for improved highways on a
| progressive and substantial bssis in every
| State in the union and in bringing under
| actual construction more than 1900
miles Of roads suited 10 the traffic needs
of the e"mmui.. -:cs in which they are
| located.
We favor continuance Of the present
Federal aid plan under existing Federal
and State agencies, amended 50 as TO
| include as one OF the element IN det~rmin-
ing the ratio in which tho several States
shall be entitled 10 share in the fund the
area Of any public lands therein.
lnssmuch as the post9l service has been
extended by the Democratic party 70 the
| door OF practically every producer and
every consumer in the country rural free
delivery alone having been provided for
six million additional patrons within the
past eight years without material added
cost we declare that this instrimentalIty
can and will be used to the maximum Of
its capacity To improve the efficiency Of
distribution and reduce the cost Of living
TO consumers while increasing the profit
able operations of producers.
We strongly favor the increased use Of
the motor vehicle in the transportation
OF the mails and urge the removal of the
restrictions imposed by the Republican
Congress on the use Of motor devices in
mail transportation in rural territories.
MERCHANT MARINE
We desire to congratulate the American
people upon the rehirth Of our merchant
marine which once more maintains It's
former place IN the world Il was under a
Democratic administration that this was
accomplished after seventy years Of in
difference and neglect, thirteen millions
of tons having been constructed since the
act was passed in 1916. We pledge the
policy of our party 70 the continued
growth of our merchant marine under
proper legislation 50 that American prod
ucta will be carried to all ports Of the world
by vessels built in American yards,
flying the American flag.
PORT FACILITIES.
The urgent demands of the war for
adequate transportation of war material
as well as for domestic needs revealed the
fact that our port facilities and rate ad-
iustment were such as 10 seriously affect
the whole country in times Of peace as
we'll as war
We pledge our party to stand for equal
ity of rates, both import and and export,
for the ports of the country that there
might be adequate land facilities and
rates for the mobilization Of the products
OF the country offered for shipment.
INLAND WATERWAYS.
We call attention TO the failure Of the
Republican National Convention 10 urge
in any way the rapid development Of
barge transportation on our inland water
ways, which development IS the result Of
the constructive policies Of the Demo-
cratic administration, and we pledge our
selves to the further development Of
adequate transportation facilities on our
rivers and to the further improvement Of
our inland waterways and We recognize
the Importance of connecting the great
lakes with the headway of the Mississippi
river and its tributaries, as well as the st.
Lawrence river. We favor an enterprISlng
foreign trade policy with a Il nations and in
this connection we favor the full utliIza-
ton of all Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific ports
and an equitable distribution Of shipping
facilities between the various ports.
transportation remains an increasingly
vital problem in the continued develop
meut and prosperity Of the nation.
Or present facilities for distribution
by rail are inadequate and the promotion
of transportation by water is imperative
We favor a liberal and comprehensive
policy fer the development and utiliza-
ton of our harbors and interior water
ways.
FLOOD CONTROL.
We commend the Democratic Congress
for the redemption of the pledge contain
ed in our last platform by the passage Of
the flood control act of March |, 1917,
and point TO the successful control Of the
floods of the Mississippi River and the
Sacramento River, California, under the
policy of that law, for its complete iusti-
hcation. We favor the extension of this
policy to other flood control problems
wherever the Federal interest involved
iustifies the expenditure required.
RECLAMATION OF ARID LANDS.
By wise legislation and progressive ad-
we have transformed the
government reclamation projects, rep
resenting an investment of 100000 900
from condition of impending failure and
loss of confidence in the ability of the
government to carry through such large
enterprises to a condition of demonstrat-
ed success whereby formerly arid and
wholly unproductive lands now sustain
r40 900 prosperous families and have an
annual crop production of over $40 ,000,-