The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-30
\ 'oda ay The World Is a School. The Strikes Educate Us. There Is Some Good
 News. One Million Geese to
 Spare.
 By ARTHUR BRISBANE
By ARTHUR BRISBANE

By ARTHUR BRISBANE
 Edward L. Wilson writes from Oakland, Cal:
 "There is nothing more admirable \ than m open mind. willing to grope \ in the darkness for Knowledge. But ! it does not seem as if the nation can afford to use the presidential office as a school for the study of eco- nomics and social conditions for many more years"
 The fact is that the whole nation and the whole of life is a school. We have been studying since 1775 and others were studying thousands of years ahead of us. In 1776 we (decided solemnly that kings must not nave power. We took his power from King George and thought we had < settled that. But power, like water. will go somewhere. Kings have not 'got it in this country. But we'll or ssanized capital and intelligence have got 1t and are using it.
 4 Just what to do about 1t no one seems to know. It Is preposterous for 1oo.oo0,ooo people to be told: l''You can't have any coal" and Your railroads will function regularly by and by; we don't know just when" But what can the people do about lit? That Is what the President asks himself-and some conservative mem ihers of the cabinet and Senate as It would be sad If that yacht could lot get any coal (perhaps she burns oii.) Sad also if citizens must go rold this winter. But what can you jdo? The constitution must be re- spected. The rights of capital must be respected. All kinds of things must be respected. it seems, ahead of the peoples right to have the use of coal and railroads.
 Henry Ford will close down; says he would not take the coal if he could sget it, at present prices; "s7 to s9 "a ton at the mine is extreme protiteering." says he.
 Rather extreme. Not long ago just before the war this writer was offered by James Mullins of Wooster. O.. first class soft coal for less than 50 cents ton at the mine. Quite a jump to s9, considering that the Lord put the coal in the ground and charges nothing for His share of the work.
 It's annoying but it's all part of the peoples education. Falling down teaches babies to walk. Burning their fingers teaches them to avoid fire. Sufficient number of hard bumps may teach this intellectual nation to vote.
 Congress will probably be asked to let the government take over. and run the railroads. temporarily. as in war--with big bill for the public to pay. of course.
 A sane reader wants to know why the government does not take over the railroads permanently, if 1t must take them and pay the bills every time they get into trouble. That's a question the people will answer when their education is more ad- vanced. Private ownership is doing all it can to educate them. ll Railroad. repair shops are 100.- 100000 hours behind in their work. lrhe automobile owner understands
 hat that means in added expense. I.et the trouble go and the bill 'Erows. What the roads hope to save on wages they will lose on those 160,0o0.000 hours. But what of it? adjusted upward And that, also, is part of public education well worth the cost. s<
 Some of the news is good. There's new speed mark in the air-an Italian. Brakapapa, flew 209 miles in an hour. That's good.
 And the income tax collections drop more than billion. That means happiness for some that have their money In corporations, leave 1t there to be reinvested as they please, and thus escape the high tax.
 France has lost a battleship that cost 4o,0oo.ooo francs It will cost 2oo.0oo.000 francs to replace her. All will sympathize with France in her loss. But perhaps. if prices go high enough. war will dwindle. Truth is in the aged poker players remark, which always preceded a raise. "The way to discourage vice is to make 1t expensive"
 Poland has 100000 extra geese to spare and will ship them to other countries. That is good news. One million extra geese are better than 1.ooo.0oo extra soldiers. Poland is opening public libraries, which is even better news than the goose surplus.
 Boddy. a negro, killed two detec- tives that arrested him and will be electrocuted next rnursuay. He has decided to allow two clergymen to console him as he walks to the chair. At first he declined, saying, T am not interested in religion" His change shows us that soon or late, white or colored. we realize that the