The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1921-06-30
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
BY ]. E. Jones

in southern states for protective tar
iff duties upon cotton and other sec
tional products. The shoe seems to
be on the other foot just now owing
to the fact that Minnesota congress
men have protested to President
Harding against the reported refusal
Of the ways and a committee to
put lumber on the free list in the
permanent tariff bill. The tariff re-
sembles prohibition with a good many
for the other fellow. Republican
statesmen of Minnesota who at one
time were insistent on shutting out
Canadian lumber now wan the raw
product let in so that they may
manufacture it in their mills. In the
days when the Mckinley bill was
passed it was the father and the
mother for all the tribe Of little in
dustry. The steel industry was built
up under the policies of protection
incorporated in that measure, but to.
day the modern steel ~grandchild
claims that it is able to stand alone,
and it wants no tariff because Amer
can steel kings dominate the markets
of the world. So it appears that the
products which need a tariff today
scorn it tomorrow. That is the order
of change, and why should it not log
ically be accepted by governments
and tariff makers, since nature itself
proceeds along h same line? Mar
Gus Aurelius, who has been quoted
since the second century, was wise
with regard to mother Nature, and
he observed that nature loves to
change existing forms and to make
new one like them
The tariff also cloves to change e K
listing FORMS" and the South and Min.
nesota of the North can find plenty
of justification in their methods.
The new shipping board finds that
they have been given a liability
rather than an asset to manage for
the government. There are 684 steel
ships of 4,469, 900 ton laid up, to say
nothing of 275 idle wooden ships prac-
tically on the scrap heap. Charles M.
Schwab, formerly director general OF
the Emergency Fleet Corporation, has
expressed his opinion that it would
be good business to charge off two
thirds of the cost of the emergency
feet, which was SO, zoo, 600, 900, and sell
the ships to private owners. 1t is esti-
mated that the new shipping board
will make sales Of their surplus ships
at about one-third of the original cost.
A good many sales have heretofore
been made at a much smaller figure.
The shipping board seems to have
been assigned the job of running a
tremendous junk shop for the United
States navy. Gradually people are
awakening to the fact that it is as
impracticable to carry on a great ship
ping business with the boats that have
lived through the wal period as it
would be to maintain bus and jitney
lines by the use of the automobiles
and trucks which the army used in this
country and in Europe.
Secretary of War John w. Weeks,
in speaking of his job, said that he was
"disposing of army material bought
e~xtravagantly and recklessly, which is
being sold far below cost"
Another branch of the national ad
ministratIon has thrown its hat into
the ring with reference to the pur-
chases made by the army and navy.
The department Of justice has issued
a statement to the effect that it has
been making Investigations Of war
time graft" The attorney general
says that he does not desire to cast
any reflection con any honest man,
but it is equally desired that any dis
honest person shall be brought to
Justice" Denying any intention "to
undertake any muck raking propo-
s%ition," the attorney general said that
lin the war period, when everybody
was expected t. stand by the govern
ment, how can we justify sending a
lOL Ol DOyS anu men 10 prison lot
~antagonizing the government in or
ganizing an army and then let the
men go free who have been guilty of
dishonorable practices? We are rot
going to look for the little fellows"
continue the statement. I'VE will
throw back the minnows caught in
the net. Acatual investigations are
now under way. A great many of the
big war contracts have been called
to our attention. The reports of the
special investigation committees of
congress have been brought to our at.
t%ention and will be helpful"
The closing paragraph in the fore
going Is significant because the inves-
tigation by congress has unearthed
matters in which the government has
been worsted in amounts computed in
millions. The Muscle Shoals project
in Alabama is prominently featured in
the report. On the other hand pri.