Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-08-09

and success AZ sAslSonAD ta1A -
farmer or TO tho croaktoA aaDA peoo-
parity Of the banks. o. 70 ths So
btlity of manufacturing md trAde
in exportinge
Our oeisssivs should - Q -
creased tenAntry. With tho persod
OF occupancy Uncertain. the raa1or
strips land Of il fertile elemenxnI
and each year diminishes our nAfton-
al asseta Under the operation Of
the Federal Reserve and thu Farm
Loan acts, announcement has come
To thousands who dnd that industry.
character and intelligence are q gead-
En- security % the peoples banker.
the government az the Cnited Stzts3
Multiply our home 0wnsrs. and you
will make the way Of the sodifious
agitator more dimcult- Bring into
the picture Of American life more
families. happily q 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 AK
alton by making the holders of hid
den wealth pay their share with
those whose property is in sight In
short. remove the penalty imposed
upon home building thrift. and thou
sands Of contented households under
the shelter Of their own. roof will
look upon government with affection.
recognizing that IN protecting il.
they protect themselves. There are
more home owners in America than
ever before. The prosperity Of the
country under Democratic rule has
been widely diffused. Never before
has the great mass OF the people
shared in the blessings Of plenty
There is much 70 be done, however,
IN multiplying our home owners.
Nothing will bring more golden re-
turn TO the welfare of the republic.
Common prvdsnes would suggest
area of tiilable land. the race be-
tween increased consumption and
added acreage has been an unequal
one. Modern methods of soil treat
nent have been helpful but they
have their limitations. There are
still vast empires in extent. in our
country. performing no service 20
I humanity. They require only the ap-
piled genius of men. TO cover them
man necessities. The government
should turn its best engineering tai
ent TO the task of irrigation projects.
Every dollar spent will Yield COM
pensating results
Any discussion Of the question Of
. food supply leads very quickly 70
the closely related matter of trans
portation. There Is no one thing
which brings is so internationally 70
critical conditions than the insuffi-
cheney Of our transportation fnciii.
/ ties. Both the railroads and the pub.
lie are 70 blame. There mas been
no material addition TO the total
mileage in the last ten yearx ana
the increase in terminals has been
must less than required At the be-
ginning of the war. the rolling stock
was sadly reduced and inadeouate
The public had not given in pay
A
which credit could be allowed Nv the
! banks Moral assistance was with.
! held because Of railroad policies that
I did not bring approval Many Of
these corporations had made them.
selves part of political activities.
local. state and national. Then there
/ were more or less sporadic instances
OF stock watering operations, and
the exploitation Of utility properties
general, out they were suficient 10
bring the entire railroad systems Of
/ the country in disrepuate. The good
suffered with the evil. When the
transportation lines were taken ever
! by the government, they were barely
able 10 limp through the task of tho
! day. Unity IN operation. the eiiminA-
ton of the long haul. ana the merc-
/ ing of every mile Of track and term
mai ana every car and engine into 4
co-ordinated plan of operation. en-
aDied the government 70 transport
troops and supplies. al the same time
affording, under great stress. a sat
isfactorv outlet for our industries. It
should oe remembered IN this con-
nectIon that except for the motor
truck which supplemented Transport
tation by rail. and except for the
great pipe lines which conveyed oil
for commercial purposes. We should
not, IN ali probability, have been
able 20 throw our deciding strength
INTO the balance and win the war
Any attempt 10 discreIit the federal
operation of railroads during the
years Of grave emergency 10 unfair
In the case of those who know the
facts II Is lnsincere. Too much can.
not De said N praise Of those who
directed this work. nor Of the men
who physically operated the lines
under the discouraging conditions Of
poor equipment But all of this 10
water over the wheel. The problem
of the railroads IS sriil with Ia The
render every cooperation in the 1T
most good faith. 20 give thorough
test 10 private ownership. The rail-
roads have had their lesson Gov
eminent regulation IS accepted now
as not only i safeguard 20 the pub
lie. but as a conserving process to
the utility Financial credit Is nee
essary to physical rehabilitation ana
II should be sufficient for the periods
of maximum demand. We should
/ not lose sight however. of the vast
possibilities Of supplementary serv-
ice by water. The Great Lakes and