The Washington times., 1921-12-08
Today
Who Will Make the Tariff
We Miss the Big Things.
4th OF July, Good Enough.
What About Dsbs?
ARTHUR BRISBANE.
Copyright. 1891.

LBy ARTHUR BRISBANE
Copyright 1891.
Inc President is in doubt about
what is suphoniously called a
flexible tariff" Flexible tariff
means American valuation" And
that new-fsnGled American valua-
tlon would take from Congress
sne power to fix the tariff and
hand that power to q man ap-
pointed. not elected.
II the Steel Trust could name
the man to value steel. the Oil
trust the man to value oil. etc.,
those trusts could make the tar
N whatever they wanted. II
Mr. Harding allows the flexible"
scheme to 70 through. he will
make the sky the limit in tariff
I1xan9. But he knows that the
peopie want to fix their own
tariff. not have it fixed and
1ramAd" from time to time BY
personal appointees.
!. While We fuss about little
tninEs we miss big things. Me-
cnanical engineers show that
proper organisation and distribu-
ton Of electric power would save
$6lO.OOO,0O0 a year In power
alone. And this gigantic saving
could be made in q small strin
OF land one hundred and fifty
miles wide. bounded by Boston on
the north and Washington on the
south. What would it amount TO
throughout the whole country. I.
Included in the scheme would be
the classification Of 10000 miles
Of railroads in the East.
Mr.. Fall, able Secretary of the
interior. first-class business man
IN charge Of the biggest business
Job In the world. says this nation,
IN the public domain, has one hum
dred and fifty BILLIONS tied
NO in coal and oil alone.
The people of this country, like
the old Indians with their great
reservations, have little idea how
rich they really are.
In the public lands, 200, 900, 900
acres. they have 10000, 600, 900
tons Of coal. fifty-one billion bar.
rels Of oil including shale. oil;
twenty million tons of potash
worth q billion and a half, thir-
teen million horsepower in water.
How much more the people own
In undeveloped, unexplored wealth
they don't now-never will know.
Some Americans are trying to
promote Magma Charta day" to
celebrate a certain occasion when
the King of England. needing
more money for war and relaxa-
ton. Va sS%Pslled e sdmat that
and had certain rights.
"Magna Charta day" is impor-
tant--for England. This coun-
try might well. continue concen-
trating enthusiasm and fireworks
on July 4, when q later English
king got notice that the United
States was going into business
for itself.
King George. war with Ireland
being over, yesterday issued
proclamation freeing all politica!
prisoners interned in Ireland.
Many of them were accused of
murder and were proud to admit
that they had fired on English
troops. This action may interest
our officials that are keeping old
Eugene Debs in jail because. a
little prematurely. as Wells points
out, he worked for the universal
peace for which the Washington
conference is now working with
the United States Government
back Of it.
Interesting financial question:
What wiu happen noo to the
Irish bonds?
Patriotic Irish men and women
bought ten million dollars worth
Of them. and so far as mere cash
value IL concerned. you could
probably have bought them at a
low price two weeks ago. Now
they are worth par, plus interest.
Of course, since De Valera guar
anteed them.
The title Of King George has
been hitherto "by the Grace Of
God, of the United Kingdom Of
Great Britain and Ireland. and Of
the British Dominions beyond the
seas, King, Defender of the Faith,
Emperor of India"
Out Of that fine title Just one
word, IRELAND. is now lifted.
And the king is as glad Of it as
q little boy who is told that his
aching tooth is out.
Here's a little drop of milk in
the cocoanut, squeezed out Of the
Washington conference. japan is
ready to accept the 5-5-3 capital
ship ratio and ten-year battle
ship building holiday. if the
United States will agree to a
"ten-year naval base holiday