The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-12-09

provide for American valuation. but
there cannot be ignored the danger of
of our own production costs. making
our tariffs prohibitive. 1t might do
so in many instances where imports
ought to be encouraged. / believe
congress ought to well consider the
desirability of the only promising al
tentative, namely a provision author
izing proclaimed American valuation,
under prescribed conditions. on any
given list of articles imported.
In this proposed f1exibility, author-
izing increases to meet conditions so
likely to change there should also be
be just today and entirely out of pro-
portion six months from today, If
our tariffs are to be made equitable.
and not necessarily burden our i'm
ports and hinder our trade abroad
frequent adjustment will be necessary
for years to come: Knowing the i'm
possibility of modification by act of
congress for any one or a score OF
lines without involving a long array
of schedules, think we shall go a
long way toward sterilization, IL there
is recognition of the tariff commits.
changes by proclamation.
Early Determination Needed.
am sure about pubic opinion favoring
the early determination of our tarin
policy There have been reassuring
signs of a business revival from the deep
slump which all the world has been ex-
periencing. Our unemployment, when
gave us grave concern only few weeks
ago, has grown encouragingly less, ana
now assurances and renewed confidence
will attend the congressional declaration
that American industry will be held Sc
cure.
Much has been said about the protec-
tive policy for ourselves making 1t i'm
possible for our debtors to discharge
their obligations to US. This is con-
tention not pressing for decision. If
we must choose between a people in idle
ness pressing for the payment of indebt-
edness, to people resuming the normal
ways of employment and carrying the
credit, let us choose the latter. Some
times we appraise largest the human Ill
most vivid in our minds. We have been
giving, and are giving now, of our inf1u-
ence and appeal to minimizing the hkeh-
hood of war and throw off the crushing
burden of armament. 1t is all very ear
nest, with national soul impelling. But
a people unemployed and gaunt with hun
ger face situation quite as diSheartening
as war, and our greater obligation today
Is to do the governments part toward
resuming productivity and promoting for
tunate and renumerative employment.
Help for Agriculturists.
Something more than tariff protection
is required by American agriculture. To
the farmer has come the earlier and the
heavier burdens of reimbursement There is
actual depression in our agricultural in
absolutely essential to the general pros
perity of the country
II Is rather shocking to be told that
100000 bales of cotton raised on Ameri-
can plantations in given year will ac-
tually be worth more to the producers
imam l3O00,OOO bales would have been Es-
peciaIly shocking is the statement that 7O0,.
OOO,OO0 bushels of wheat raised by Amer
lean farmers would bring them more
than billion bushels Yet these are NOT
exaggerated statements. In a world
Wnere there are tens of millions who
neeo 1000 and clothing which they cannot
set, Such condition is sure to indict the
soclal system which makes it possible.
Cooperation Advocated.
In the main, the remedy lies in dis
.ioution ana marketing. Every proper
announcement should be given to the CO.
uupeia.ive marketing programs. These
nave proven very helpful to the co-operat
ing communities in Europe. In Russia
the cooperative community has become
tne recognized bulwark of law and order
al saved lndivldualism from engulfment
IN social paralysis. Ultimately they will
De accredited with the salvation of the
Russian state.
There is the appeal for this experiment
why not try 1T? No one challenges the
risht OF the farmer to a larger share of
the consumers pay for his product, no one
disputes that we can not live without the
farmer. He is justified in rebelling
against the transportation cost Given a
less occasion to appeal for financial aid,
ana given assurance that his labors shall
not be In vain, we reassure all the peonle
or production sufficient to meet our ma
aster
The base of the pyramid of civilization.
winch rests upon the SOIL is shrinking
through the drift of population from farm
70 city. FOR a generation we have been
expressing more or less concern about
thlS tendency. Economists have warned
and statesmen have deplored. We thought
Tor time that modern conveniences and
Ine more intimate contact would halt the
movement, but 1t has gone steadily on.
Perhaps only grim necessity will correct
II, put we ought to find a less drastic
remedy.
Need for Freight Readjustment.
The existing scheme of adjusting
freight rates has been favoring the
baslng points, until industries are at
Iracted TO some centerS and repealed
from Others. A great volume of UNI
economic and wasteful transportation
mas attended, and the cost increased
meat-packing industries offer ample
illustration, and the attending concen-
tration is readily apparent. The men
aces in concentration are not limited
to the retarding influences on agricul-
ture. Manifestly the conditions and
terms of railway transportation ought
not to be permitted to increase this un-
a
pride in our great cities, but we shall
nnd greater pride in the nation
which has larger distribution of its
population int6 the country; where
comparatively elf-sufficient smaller
communities may plant agricultural
and manufacturing interests in har-
monious helpfulness and enhanced
g goo fortune ta such a movement con-
wrought of investments made or
wealth involved 1t only looks to a
general policy of transportation of dis
construction to encourage the spread
of our population and restore the
proper balance between city and coun
try. The problem may well have your
earnest attention.
Sees Elimination of Poverty.
It has. been perhaps the proudest
that in dealing with human relation
ships it has constantly moved toward
such justice in distributing the prod
uct of human energy that it has i'm
status of the mass Of people. Ours
has been highly productive social
organization. On the way up from the
e elf;naf STAGES of SO society we have
are far on the way to the elimination
of poverty.
Through the eradication of illiteracy
and the diffusion of education, man
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 a too
great divergence between the economic
conditions of the most and least fav-
ored classes in the community. But
even that divergence has not come to
the point where we bracket the very
poor and the very rich together as
the least fortunate classes Our eff
forts may well be directed to improv-
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