Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-06-08

/ SCoholillC expert ana autnOflCy on IN
foematiortal problems. His conten.
tions as outlined in the following arti
Gle give food for thought and tn.
more they are studied the more pos
sibilities are open for the average
man to absorb.
The world just now seems to be
ldeep IN the slough of despond ano
nations in working out Hheir own
economic salvation seem to be trying
| to pull themselves out of the mire
by their bootstraps. If they would
adopt policy of mutual helpfulness
and reciprocity and exert themselves
to eXtricate their neighbors, nations
could soon again reach terra frma
and thenceforth the road to that
seemingly elusive nornlalcy to which
we aspire would be safe to travel with
only the ordinary obstacles incident
to the onward march of civilization.
This would be the spirit of en-
Ihghtened elf-interest, which until the
coming of the millennium, is the
only dependable motive for the CO.
operation of nations, or of individuals
and the only enduring basis for in
Iternational or for industrial peace.
The spirit of enlightened self-inter-
est presupposes the recognition of the
principle of economic interdepen-
dence. One must emphasize the quail
Ilficatlon of intelligent self-interest, for
unintelligent self-interest is largely
Irresponsible for lack of remedial CO.
operation. There could be more use.
full campaign of education than to i'm
press upon every class of every com
munity it's dependence for well-beine
upon the general welfare. This is
not a preachment Of an ideal, nol
merely the enunciation of an ethical
principle, but is the aim to develop
the power conception of that great
underlying principle which inevitably
must be the guide in human relations
This conception does not in any way
imply the subordination of high eth.
lcal standards to expediency.
Mutual Benefits.
In order to attain cooperative en-.
Ideavor essential to national industrial
efhclency, we must recognize the inter
| dependence of the industries of the
country and the mutuality of inter.
ests. We must realize for example
the dependence of agriculture on the
prosperity of the manufacturing IN.
dustry, for in the manufacturing cen.
ters it finds its best market, and that
conversely all industries are bene-
fitted by the prosperity of the farm.
ers, since more than fifty per cent
Of the country's purchasing power i:
derived from the products of the
farms.
We must realize that the tariff is
an economic and not a political prob
lem and that it should be treated
accordingly in tariff legislation, anc
that the keynote of our economic anc
fiscal legislation must ever be
to preserve unimpaired the integrity
Of our domestic industries and the
purchasing power of our incompatible
home market-a market which alb
serbs more than ninety per cent o1
the products Of American labor, il
value twice that of the total tradt
of the entire world.
We must realize that in the build
ing up of an American Merchant
Marine, which is indispensable to the
adequate development of our foreign
trade, there must be no provincial
ism; that for example, our great mid
die west, which contributes almost
one half of the total exports of the
United States, is as much a benefc
liary of an American Merchant Marine
as are our seaboard states.
As to immigration.
It is important that defnitivt
lpolicy be established, and that tn,
admission of immigrants be chief,
determined by the labor required t,
supply the needs of our domestic mar
ket, plus the relatively small percen
Itage of products destined for export
1t is better in the long run TO suf
fer from temporary lack of labo,
than to face the danger of con
igested labor market and consequen
unemployment with resulting socia
distress.