Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-12-09
BY DAVID LAWRENCE
Ueased Wire Service to The JournaI.)
Copyright, 1927

NCopNElSHts 15z<.D
WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-Presi-
dent Harding has taken complete
cognizance in his message to con-
gress today of the major problems
which made the electorate so rest
less this year and brought such
confused result in the elections Just
a month ago yesterday.
The president says something on
nearly every subject which might
have had anything to do with the
balloting or which might affect the
course of affairs in the next ma.
tional referendum in 1924. Members
of both parties will agree that irre4
spective Of the merit of Mr.. Hard
irg's proposal, whether they consti.
tute a cure for the ills or a plea in
avoidance the president has, never
theless, by his recitation of prob.
lens given a comprehensive account
Of 1.-The state of the onion"
Much of what Mr.. Harding has
recommended does not come as
surprise but until the executive
speaks, until the leader of the dom.
nant political party puts his worGl
formally on record, there is nevel
the same weight given or the same
attention paid to the recommends
tions.
Agriculture Stands Foremost
Agriculture stands first and fore
most in Mr.. Harding's thought. Ha
knows that the revolt in the middle
west, indeed the friction inside thu
Republican party, has at it's root d
dissatisfaction with Americas imi
perfect system of financing thu
farmer. Enlargement of the pow
ers of the farm loan bureau togethet
with the permanent establishment
of system that will do at all times
what the War Finance corporation
did in an emergency is what MIR
Harding proposes. The details are
being worked out in congressional
committees now.
But credits alone are not sufficient
Freight rates have been a bugabci
and with that problem the presideil
links poor transportation. Mr.. Hard
ing makes a plea for more use Il
the motor truck. better highways
and d coordination of motor facilI
ties to move crops. He openly critJ
cizes the railroads for saying the
motive power is good when it ISM
and he deplores the poor serviti
they have biven in regions of tr!
country where perishable crops h. |
to be moved. He refers particulars
ly to the Pacific coast.
Yet as the president tackles tn
railroad problem, he realizes in HI
speech that the railroad strike Wiz
not an accident but. that back of !
all is the perennial dispute about la
Dor.
Revise Rail Labor Board
The most important recommends
ton he makes is the abolition of tn
United States railroad labor boar
or rather it's complete revision. -
has been pointed out again and aga
in these dispatches, the weakness Il +
the board has been it's division in
three groups, labor, employer am
public. This, like in arbitrat-Ci
tribunals, only means that the rel
burden is placed on the neutra
members. Mr.. Harding proposes !
board to be composed of all neutri
members. Thinking also that tn
labor board is an Inflated instituted
without power to enforce it's decree
the president thrusts forward tn
idea of making new subdivision q
the interstate commerce commiss.Cl
to concentrate on labor disputes.
This provision probably will b
bitterly fought by labor for it meaI
that the arbitrary rules of a fair ra
turn on the investment will be cod
sidered by one branch of the intel
state commerce commission and tina
another will fix wages on the basl
of what the railroads can afford Il
pay. This is where labor enters TIL
argument with the cry that labd
should be given a living wage evel
if there isn't as much profit as thy
government now guarantees. Labu
has fought the government theori
of what constitutes a fair return OF
railroad investment.
Amendment Easily Made
Also there Is every reason TO ba
lieve that labor is just as much OF
posed to any tribunal which Ell
forces its DEGREES whether it is Gale,
a labor board or subdivision of TIL
interstate commerce commission 4
anything else. The present interstate
commerce act has enforceable pro
visions already. Simple amendment
to include labor disputes would b..
easy from psychological viewpoiH
as it would seem to place carrieil
and employees on the same basis, bu
labor would fight that tooth and nail
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