New-York tribune., 1921-05-24

| or agriculture and in every possible
/ way insure justice to IL. Surely we
nave done all that could be expected of
us in carrying the burdens of others.
and there is no regret, but our iust
concern now is for our America be-
cause our own restoration ia our first
service to q world turning to ma for
aad and inspiration. The country has
emerged from the hectic prosperity fol-
owing the war and is suffering from
oppression. We are confronted bv the
need to place own own house in order.
and no more important feature nf that
eHort can be visioned than to place our
agricultural industry on sound basis
ana provide machinery and facilities
for financing and distributing crons r.
we do this we merely will be providing
the farmer with facilities similar to
those enjoyed by the business commun-
ity generally. The farmer is entitled
to all the help the government can
give him, without injustice to others.
because it is of the utmost Importance
that the agricultural community be con
tented and prosperous. This must be
accomplished not at the expense of any
other section of the communitv. but
by processes which will insure real
justice among all elements in the COM
mnn1ty. Agriculture has been laboring
under severe handicaps, and is entitled
10 nave facilities placed at its disposal
which will remove these.
turning to industry, our Dolicv
must be to give it every facility pos
slble, but to keep government outside
of participation in business on its own
account. 1t is not necessary for the
government to intrude itself in the
business activities which are better
conducted through private instrumen-
tahtIes, merely in order to demon
powerful than anything else in this
country. The time has passed when
any man or group of men is likely TO
indulge the idea of being more power
tul than the government. There is no
need for the government to engage in
business in order to enforce justice
and fair dealing in business Nor is
fhere need for the government to en-
gage in business to deplete the
Treasury. The governments part in
business should be no more than to
insure adherence to- the principles of
common honesty, and to establish .'eg-
uiatlons that will enable it to sail q
safe course
Magnitude Not Criminal
"There has been some tendency to
regard business as dishonest until il
should prove itself honest, and to re-
gard bigness in business as crime.
But almost all business to-day is con-
Quoted on q scale which, though we
have come to regard it as common
place, would have made our forefathers
gasp; and | prefer to assume it is
honest until proved dishonest. II they
had attempted to limit business in size
and scope they would have prevented
even the little business Of to-day be-
ing as great as it is. So I speak for
che least possible measure of govern
ment interference with business, but
for the largest cooperation with
conducted business, and the
most effective measures to insure
that, whether it be big or little, pusi- |
ness shall be honest and fair.
"In our efforts at establishing indus
trial justice we must see that the wage
Garner is placed in an economically |
sound position. His lowest wage must |
be enough for comfort, enough to make /
his house home, enough to insure |
that the struggle for existence
shall not crowd out the things truly |
worth existing for. There must be pro-
vision for recreation and a margin for
savings. There must be such freedom
OF action as will insure full play to the
ind1FlQuaIS abllltleS. On the other /
side, the wage Garner must do justice
TO society. He must render services
fully equal in value to the compensa-
5ion he is paid. And finally, both en-
oloyer and employee owe to the public
such efficiency as will insure that cost
,f service or production shall not be
higher than the public can fairly pay.
assuming that these things may be
aid down as fundamentals, it is for us
III to get back to work. That is what
made our country great, it is what will
1ut the whole world back on the right
rack. We must have, the world must
lave, confidence that things will come
out right. We have dealt with the
greatest problem that humanity ever
confronted in carrying on the war. We
Will have no problem hereafter greater
'r more difficult than that was. There
ore, we ate entitled to every confidence