The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-02-16

The leaders %thereupon have made re-
peated trips to the White House to
ask the president "how can we raise
it?" That's for you to say" has been
the essence Of the answer, on each and
every occasion.
The soldiers bonus bill will be re-
ported to congress-, and it is likely to
pass. 1t is not expected that Presi-
dent Harding will veto it; but he will
insist that no responsibility for it's
enactment shall rest upon his admins.
t~ration.
Congress has given up the idea OF
linking the bill with the allied debt.
Bond issues have been considered but
this method of financing the measure
seems to be unpopular. Chairman
Fordney, in a statement following a
recent meeting Of the ways and means
committee, admitted that all forms of
taxation in connection with the bonus
were discussed, with the exception of
taxing China and Japan" he added.
A formidable form of opposition to
the bonus bill is found in some Of the
farmers organizations, and some Of
the leaders have protested to congress
against any more taxes"
You will always find the railroads
and the farmers sitting on the doorstep
OF Uncle Sam waiting for office hours
10 begin. Both the railroads and the
farmers are always saying to Uncle
Co n, that 10 ,,,,, u,;n l. C. - -, -
will be all right. This has been going
on for at last a generation with the
result that it has been proved that
Uncle Sam is a poor physician. His
patients are salivated, their Joints
creak, and they look as though any
more medicine might kill them. A few
months ago the administration pointed
out that the only way the country
could ecove from its financial hic-
coughs was through measures to fl
nance the railroads. More than seven
millions of dollars has been paid to
the railroads in connection with the
period of public control, and this small
s~ugar-coated pill has apparently had
no effect on the patient.
The farmers have captured enough
OF congress to actually hold an effec-
tive balance Of power, and to enable
them to write laws just about as they
wish. One day they have marketing
measures, the next day they regulate
the packers, the federal reserve board
and the federal highways. Uncle Sam
as a physicist gives them everything
they ask for. But it all seems of no
avail.
For a good many years a large group
of strong-minded men have preached
the doctrine that constant legislative
interference would eventually kill any
OF Uncle Sans patients. The farmers
and the railroads seem to be striking
evidence Of the proof of this belief.
Even senators are recommending to
the sick industries of the country that
they try economic law" instead Of the
legislative palliative. They point out
that fixed rates and definitely pre-
scribed methods Of conducting the
railroads amounts to nothing less than
price fixing" eve though it is termed
government control" They also in
dictate that price fixing with regard
to farm products during the war was
the real beginning of the agricultural
upset, because it produced an artificial
boom in land values and fictitious val
ues in the ownership of farm lands.
The new necessities could not be met
through the simple process of farming
the land. During the boom the land
spectators farmed each other; but
when price fixing ceased and the for
eign demand for grains and products
fell off the bottom dropped out Of the
whole situation, and all the tinkering
that congress could do has not stopped
the leaks.
The cotton growers of the south
have been hard hit, and have rushed
to Washington for relief. They too,
have been disappointed.
Cuba had a boom in sugar, and
when it's bubble broke the island was
bankrupt. Cuba rushed on to Wash
ington and met with considerable en-
couragement in borrowing itself out
of debt" But Cuba isn't through, and
the American Sugar Refining com
pany, which has manipulated sugar
weights and measures for a great
many years, appears to be among
those hit, inasmuch as it discontinued
paying dividends.
Big leather interests report losses
of millions of dollars during the past
year. The fertilizer companies are
fighting for dear life.
Somebody in a~nalyzing industrial
conditions has wisely commented
that there is no shortage in misfor
tune" But it is a safe prophesy tC
say that those who recover first will
be the industries and concerns that
have the privilege of figuring out
their w methods for beating back
and in the processes of which they