The Mankato free press., 1921-12-09
MkNkATo FREE PRESS

ton and the attending concentration IL
readily apparent. The menaces in con
centration are not limited to the re
tarding influences on agriculture
ManifNtly the conditions and terms
OF railway transportation ought not tC
be permitted to increase the undesir
able tendency.
1--WE have a just pride in our great
cities, but we shall find a greater
pride in the nation which has larg-
er distribution OF its population intc
the country, where comparatively self
sufficient smaller communities may
blend agricultural and manufacturing
interests in harmonious helpfulness
and enhanced good fortune, such q
movement contemplates no destruction
OF things wrought, of investments
made, or wealth involved.
Encourage Spread of Population.
! 1t only looks to general policy Of
transportation, Of distributed indus
try, and of highway construction, tc
encourage the spread of our popula
ton and restore the proper balance
petween city and country. The prob
lem may well have your earnest at,
tention.
/ "It has been perhaps the proudest
claim OF our American civilization
that in dealing with human relation
ships 1t has constantly moved toward
such justice in distributing the prod
uct ,ot human energy that 1t has i'm
proved continuously the economic
state Of the mass of people. Ours has
been a highly productive social or.
ganization, on the way up from the
elemental stages of society we have
eliminated slavery and serfdom anC
are now far on the way to the elm
ination of poverty.
acy and the diffusion of education
mankind has reached stage where
We may fairly say that in the United
States equality Of opportunity has
been attained, though all are not pre-
pared to embrace it. There is indeed
a too great divergence between the
economic conditions of the most and
the least favored classes in the com
munity.
7 Right of Labor To Organize.
while this set of problems is com
monty comprehended under the gen
eral phrase capital and labor" It is
really vastly broader. It is ques
tlon OF social and economic organiza
ton. Labor has become large con
tributor, through its savings, to the
stock of capital; while the people who
own the largest individual aggregates
or capital, are themselves often hard
and earnest laborers.
The right of labor to organize is
just as fundamental necessary as is
4 the right of capital to organize. The
right OF labor to negotiate, to deal
with and solve its particular prob
I lens, in an organized way, through its
chosen agents, is just as essential as
is the right of capital to organize, to
maintain corporations, to limit the
liabilities of stockholders.
Just as it is not desirable that a
corporation shall be allowed to i'm
pose undue exactions upon the pub
' lie, so it is not desirable that a labor
organization shall be permitted to ex-
act unfair terms of employment OF
subject the public to actual distress
in order to enforce its terms.
Settle Labor and Capital Differences
\ FINALLY, just as we are earnestly
seeking for procedures, whereby to
adjust and settle political differences
between nations without resort to
war, so we may well look about for
means to settle the differences be-
tween organized capital and organiz
ed labor without resort to those forms
OF warfare which we recognize under
me name of Strikes, lockouts, boy
colts, and the like.
1T should be possible to set up ju-
dicial or quasi judicial tribunals for
the consideration and determination
OF all disputes which menace the pub
lie welfare.
; After each war, until the last. the
government has been enabled to give
homes to its returned soldiers; and a
large part of our settlement and de-
Velopments has attended this generous
provision OF land for the nations de-
tenders.
There is yet unreserved approx
mately 200000,000 acres m the public
domain, 20,000,000 acres Of which are
known to be susceptible of reclama
ton and made fit for homes by pro-
vision for irrigation.
! Increase In Irrigated Land Values.
The government has been assist
ing in the development Of its remain
ing lands, until the estimated in
crease in land values in the irrigated
! sections is fully $500, 0,000, 900, and the
crops of 1920 alone on these lands are
estimated to exceed 500, 200, 900.
Under the law authorizing the ex-
pend1tures for development, the ad
vances are to be returned. and il
would be good business for the gov
eminent to provide for the reclama
ton Of the remaining 10000. 900 acres
In addition to expedfting the compile
ton OF the projects, long under way
Under what is known as the coal
and gas lease law, applicable also to
deposits Of phosphates and other min :
erals on the public domain, leases are
now being made on the royalty basis
ana are producing large revenues to
the government.
These resources are SO vast and
the development is affording so reIi-
able basis of estimate that the inter.
ior department expressed the beIiei
that ultimately the present law viii
add in royalties and payments to fhe
treasury OF the federal government
and the states containing these pnh.
lie lands total of 1000 900, 900. This
means, OF course, an added wealth M
many times that sum. The nrosnerte
seem to afford every Justification ot
government advances in reclamation
~ Home Making Benefits.
Home making is one of greater
benefits which government can be.
STOW: Measures are pending EN-
bodying these sound policies to which
we may well adhere. It is easily nos
s1ble to make available permanen,
MONIES which will provide in turn fo,
prosperous American families. with {.
OUT injurious competition with es-
tSblished activities, or imposition on