The Adair County news., 1921-12-13

Clcmenldl Stages VI SOClcly VIC ndNS
eliminated slavery and serfdom and
are far on the way to the elimination
of poverty.
and the diffusion of education, man
kind has reached a stage where we
may fairly say that in the United
States equality of opportunity has been
attained, though all are not prepared
to embrace it. There is, indeed, too
great divergence between the economic
conditions of the most and least fav-
even that divergence has not come to
the point where we bracket the very
poor and the very rich tosether as
the least fortunate classes. Our ef-
ing the status of both.
While this set of problems Is com
monty comprehended under the gen
eral phrase Capital and Labor" it
is really vastly broader. 1t is a
question of social and economic organ
Ization. Labor has become large
the stock of capital, while the peo7
pie who own the largest individual
aggregates of capital are themselves
often hard and earnest laborers. Very
the line of differentiation between the
two groups; to determine whether
particular individual is entitled to be
set down as iaborer or as capitalist.
In very large proportion of cases
he is both, and when he is both. he
is the most useful citizen.
hIYnIS OF LABOR SdPlIais
The right of labor to organize is
just as fundamental and necessary as
is the right of capital to organize.
The right of labor to negotiate, to
deal with and solve its particular
problems in an organized way through
it's chosen agents, is just as 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 lin
tied liability of the citizens as mem
ber of labor organization closely
parallels the limitation of liability
of the citizen as a stockholder In
corporation for profit. Along this line
of reasoning we shall make the great
est progress toward solution or our
problem of capital and labor
Just as it is not desirable that
corporation shall be allowed to i'm
pose undue exactions upon the pup
organization shall be permitted to ex-
act unfair terms of employment or
subject the public to actual distresSes
in order to enforce its terms. Finally.
procedures whereby to adjust and set
tie political difficulties between ma
tions without resort to war, so we
may we'll look about for means to set,
tie the differences between organized
capital and organized labor without
resort to the forms Of warfare when
strikes, Iockouts, boycotts, and the
As we have great bodies of law
carefully Regulating the STs,1IaI SFganIIIatiSnSs SnS
financial corporations. so we might
we'll have plans Of conference, OF com
mon council, of mediation. aroltra-
tIon and judicial determination In con-
troversies between labor and capital.
To accomplish this would involve the
necessity to develop a thoroughgolng
AFFAIRS. With right privileges, i'm
munities and modes of organization
thus carefully defined. it should be
possible to set up judicial or quasi
ton and determination OF all disputes
which menace the public welfare.
Holds Strike Out of Place.
In an industrial society such as ours
the strike, the lockout and the boy
colt are as much out of place and as
disastrous in their results as is war or
armed revolution in the domain or pol
itics. The same disposition TO reason
tion of the other sides point OF view
the same provision of fair and recog-
nized tribunals and processes ought to
make ii possible to solve the one set
of questions as easily as the other.
l believe the solution is possible:
After each war. until the last the
government has been able to give
homes to its returned soldiers, and
large part of our settlement and de-
velopment has attended this generous
provision Of land for the nations de-
tenders.
There is yet unreserved approximate
ly 200 100000 acres in the public do
main, 20,OO0,000 acres of which are
known to be susceptible of reclama-
ton and made fit for homes by pro-
vision for irrigation.
Point to Swamp Lands.
Contemplating the inevitable and de-
! sirable increase of population, there Is
another phase of reclamation full worthy
of consideration. There are 100000 acres
of swamp and cut-over lands which
may be reclaimed and made as valuable
as any farm lands we possess. These
acres are largely located in southern
states, and the greater proportion Is
owned by the states or by private citi-
zens. Congress has a report of the sur
yey Of this field for Teclama ton, and the
mend federal aid, by way of advances
| where state and private participation is
| assured.
Homemaking is one of greater benefits
| which government can best own. Meas
ures are pending embodying this sound
| policy to which we may we'll adhere. II
! is easily possible to make available per
manent homes which will provide, in
turn, for prosperous American families
| without injurious competition with estab-
! lished activities or imposition on wealth
| already acquired.
! There are full score of topics con-
| cerning which it would be becoming
! to address you, and on which 1 hope
| to make report at later time.
|
| your earlier attention. However, q
! cannot end this limited address with
| out a suggested amendment to the or
| ganic law.
| Opposes NontaxabIe Bonds.
Many of us belong to that school OF
| thought which<is hesitant about alter.
| ing the fundamental law. l think oul
| tax problems. the tendency of wealth
| to seek nontaxable Investment and
| the menacing increases of public debt
federal, state and municipal, all justi.
| fly proposal to change the Constitu.
| ton so as to end the issue of nontaX.
able bonds. No action can change the
! status of the many billions outstand.
! ing but we can guard against future
| encouragement of capitals paralysis
| while a halt in the growth of public
indebtedness would be beneficial
| throughout our whole land.
Such a change in the Constitution mus
be very thoroughly considered before sub
mission. l suggest the consideration be
cause the drift of wealth into nontaxabl
securities is hindering> the flow of larg
capital to our industry, manufacturing
agricultural and carrying, until we ar
discouraging the very activities whicl
make our wealth.
! Agreeable to your expressed desire an,
in complete accord with the purposes O
the executive branches of the govern
ment, there is in Washington, as yo,
happily know, an international confer
ence, most earnestly at work on plans 70
the limitation of armaments and a naVa
holiday and the just settlement of prob