The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-06-29

position the foreign government would
soon recognize the fairness of our
view and be governed by it, because
then they would find better co-opera-
ton on the part of our gvernment and
the financial interests Of the country
Why. the other day our attention was
called to a case which l want to tell
you of. The Panama Railway Co., ad-
vertised for 100000 pounds o. rec il
New Orleans.
They wanted 10000 pounds from
Siam and 10000 from China. Imagine
this situation: There was the govern
ment buying Asiatic rice in the heart
of the rice section, where warehouses
are filled with the very best rice pro-
duced in the world and selling for al
most nothing. We Immediately took
the matter up with Mr.. Hoover, who,
in turn, took 1t up with the war de-
partment, and we were assured that
this practice would be stopped at once
We could not ask foreigners who bor-
row from us to spend their money
here if we allow the government to
buy produce abroad whenA they can
be bought here from our people be-
low the cost Of production.
Our exports for the month of April
1921, were 1898, 914,9S7 For April 1920
they amounted to $6S4,S19.S92, or q
loss for this one month of $S44'4O4, 4O5'
or more than so per cent. This can
not go on indefinitely. With the dom
este market stagnant and foreign
trade losing ground so rapidly, 1t is
obviously the duty of the federal gov
eminent, in the interest Of all the peo-
ple. to use its influence to stimulate
business and turn the idle in favor
of the American people. The inter
est of no single class or section are
involved here, but the interests of all
the people.
f,want to be well understood in this
connection. l am not advocating thai
the government make more loans to
foreign governments. On the con-
, trary, l believe that those countries
who owe us and who are increasing
I their navies and armies at this very
t time should be made to at leas pay
us the interest on what they owe us,
which, understand, amounts to a mil
i lion dollars day
l believe that the war finance cor
poration, which we we're compelled to
, revive under fire, should be made rc
function to its full capacity. with due
: regard, of course, to security.
Second. Another question of vital
. interest to our people at this time and
which must be solved soon is the ques
ton of transportation.
? A few days ago we had delegation
i of representative farmers here before
T the Interstate commission. These meI
proved beyond doubt that some o.
. our perishable products were rotting
S en- the farm because shipments thai
n had been made did not pay the cosi
e of transportation, t, Pause and thinf
/ of it. Here are consumers in the big
centers paying exorbitant prices fol-
t products that are rotting on the farm
/ because products viii not pay the cos
y of transportation, let alone profit tc
: the people who produce them. Not on
g ly that it is loss to the producer
= and consumers, but it is loss to tbs
g railroads.
r But, my friends, let US be practice
e in the consideration Of this vital ques
e ton. OF course, we must have fai
+ and competent government regulation
h with economy, and we must demand
# an immediate reduction in freigh
, rates; but at the same time let u
II understand that this would only Civ
e us temporary relief, and if we are t
have permanent relief we must buil'
up comprehensive and efficient sys
tenn of transportation. And we cal
not consider transportation in a CON
prehensive way without considerin
good roads and waterways in comes
ton with railroads. And then. too. W
must have our own merchant ship
on the seaboard to carry our surplu
products to foreign markets.
Under the policy of private interest
that controlled railroads in the pas
there was built up system of trans
portation which tended to move a
the freight in one direction-to the fe7
favored destinations. The systel
was like huge bottle with a smi3
= neck, all of the lines converging to
narrow strip of coast line in the nortl
eastern part of the country. Trun
lines were paralelled to the northea:
because traffic was forced in that
rection. Other quicksilver and "a
were largely neglected. The resul
of this policy was that when the pres
ing demand of war industry cam
there was a congestion and paralys
of transportation because our railroad
were unable to deliver the gooi
through the neck of the bottle. Undt
comprehensive system Of transpo