The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-12-06
Text Of Harding Messag &c

Perhaps only grim necessity |ili
correct II, but We ought TO lino
q less drastic remedy.
The existing scheme of adjusting
freight rates has been favortng the
basing points, until Industries are
attracted to some centers ana re-
PEELED from others. A great volume
of uneconomic and wasteful trans
portation has attended. and the cost
increased accordingly. The grain
milling and meat-packing industries
afford ample Illustration. and the
attending concentration IL readily
apparent. The menaces In concen-
tration are not limited to the re-
tarding influences on agriculture.
Manifestly the conditions and terms
OF railway transportation ought
not be permitted TO increase this
undesirable tendency. We have q
just pride in' our great cities, but
we shall find q greater pride In
the nation, which has a larger dis
tribution Of it's population into the
country. where comparatively SELF
sufficient smaller communities may
blend agricultural and manufacture
ing interests In harmonious help
fulness and enhanced good fortune.
Such q movement contemplates no
destruction OF things wrought, Of
Investments made, or wealth In
VOWED. It only looks to general
policy of transportation, OF dis
tributed industry. and Of h1ghway
construction. to encourage the
spread Of our population and re-
store the proper balance between
city and country. The problem
may we'll have your earnest atten-
ton.
Economic State Improved.
1t has been perhaps the proudest
claim Of our American civilization
that In dealing with human rela-
tionships II has constantly moved
toward such justice In distributing
the product OF human energy that
Il has improved continuously the
economic status of the mass Of
people. Ours has been a highly
productive social organization. On
the way up from the elemental
stages Of society we have elimin-
ated slavery and serfdom and are
now far on the way to the elimin.
alton Of poverty.
Through the eradication Of Tilt
eracy and the diffusion of educa-
ton mankind has reached a stage
where we may fairly say that in
the United States equality of op-
portunity has been attained, though
all are not prepared to embrace
II. There II, indeed, a too great
divergence between the economic
conditions Of the most and the
least favored classes in the COM
munity. But even that divergence
has now come to the point where
we bracket the very poor and the
very rich together As the least for
tunate classes. Our efforts may
well be directed to improving the
status Of both.
Question Of Organization.
While this set of problems Is
commonly comprehended under the
general phrase capital and labor"
II In really vastly broader. 1t IL
q question Of social and economic
organization. Labor has become
a large contributor, through it's
savings, to the stock of capital;
while the people who own the lsrg-
est individual aggregates Of CAPT.
tai are themselves often hard and
earnest laborers. Very often II 10
extremely difficult 10 draw the line
of demarcation between the two
groups: to determine whether q
particular individual IL entitled to
be set down az lab0rer or as cap.
italist. In a very large proportion
Of cases he In both. and when he
is both he In the most useful citi-
zen.
The right OF labor to organize is
just "a fundamental and necessary
as 10 the right Of capital to organ
lie. The right of labor to negoti-
ate, to deal with and solve it's par
ticular problems in. an organized
way. through it's chosen agents. Is
just az essential as Is the right Of
capital to organize. to maintain
corporations. to limit the liabilities
Of stockholders. Indeed, We have
come to recognize that the limited
liability Of the citizen as a mem
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