Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-05-14
DEPARTMENT FUNCTIONS.

The work Of the federal government a conAuc.aa by
departments. each department being dsvotsd to the per-
Torrance OF duties of . particular class, related 70 4 par
dcular subject These departments were created one
At = time. as the necessity for them became apparent.
Contrary to the conclusion which might be draEn' from
some OF the discussions Of the subject, each department
Is intended to represent all the people, and not merely
a dtstinct group whose activities are directed along Ger.
tain specified lines
duties are related to the manasemeutN OF the military
forces Of the country. But the secretary Of war does not
at in the cabinet as the Representatives OF the Interests OF
the army. He Is there ~ the representative Of the entire
nation tn all matters concerning military activities. In
. similar manner the secretary of the navy IL not the rep
resentative OF the sailors. He is there to promote the
highest interests OF the nation in all matters relating
to naysl work. The secretary Oh commerce is not the
representative of the merchants Neither does he aecre-
tary Of agriculture represent the farmers nor the Soc
rotary of labor the workers." that il. the people who
labor with their hands.
1t is the business Of the secretary Of conuerce to.
aid in devisins ways in which the interests of ell the peo-,
pie may best be served by the agencies of commerce. OF
the secretary OF agriculture to aid in the promotion Of
the general interest through the varied activities OF aSri.
culture, and Of the secretary of labor to keep before him
constantly the futherance of the common welfare through
the activities Of labor. The secretary Of war might be
successful in creating the largest army in existence. and
in securing for its members better pay and better con-
ditions Of service than are enjoyed by the citizens Of any
Other Croupe. He might do all this and yet be an utter
is.turt III CARRYING out the spirit in which his department.
was created. Any one OF the other cabinet officers might
sain for the people with whose activities he is appointed
to deal advantages enjoyed by no others. and yet he q
failure as a public Official, a
Broadly speaking, there is no such thing As identity
OF interest With reference to each particular uansac.
ton the immediate interests of producer and consumer
are opposed. But there is such a thing as community
of interest, a condition in which it is recognized az"
being to the interest OF all that business Of whatever ma
ture shall be conducted alons lines of equity, SO that
ZACH purchaser of q commodity shall obtain it az q price
which represents 1t at its fair value to him, and that
each who performs a service shall he justly compensated
ivr it. On no other basis than that Of such immunity
OF intcress can the afaire Of q nation be conducted if
the nation is to endure and prosper.
The political and personal rights OF ali persons are
by our constitution. It makes no di6erance
whether the individual belongs to = majority Ct = minor.
ity. He nay stand entirely alone, In any case his rights
are sacred. Inversely. no matter how LARGE or how small
the group to which he may happen to belong, his interests
are to be promoted by the government 80 far, and 50 far
only. as they coincide with the inter ests Of the great
public And no matter into how many departments the
work OF our government is divided. no matter how 1t may
be specialized, the tact must always be recognised that
the government stands Tor all the people, and not for
any particular part Of them.