Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-09-14
DEMOCRATS |NDORSE

cent, The temporizing schemes put
forward for its relief. such as price
fixing and the emergency tariff, have
all failed to relieve the farmer. He is
still paying war prices for what he
buys, while receiving less than pre-
! war prices for his products
Mr.. Wheeler. decried the policy of
the present government in remaining
aloof from European affairs. After
America had sent her sons to help
save Europe from war ruin. he said,
the government cannot now play the
part of the selfish rich man" The
demochratic party, in dealing with both
national and international problems,
the speaker pointed out, now faces
its golden opportunity 10 serve the
great masses of humanity.
Cites Coal Trouble
Our coal industry is paralyzed
throughout a large part of the Coun-
try. Suffering and want from scarcity
or lack of coal next winter seems a
certainty, while the mounting prices of
this and many other necessities of life
are adding to the millions of the coal
barons and others of this country.
Our great merchant fleet, built up
at an expense of more than three bill
lion dollars, is idle, while a large
American tonnage is carried in British
ships. And now the republican party
proposes to sell this great fleet of
ships to private individuals for a few
cents on the. dollar of what it cost
and TO give n bonus to the purchaser
besides for taking it. Does the pres
ent administration say anything about
giving to the producers of this country
a subsidy? The stockmen OF this state
are all broke as well as the farmers,
and yet we hear no word from the
administration in the interest of either.
"Since the passage of the Esch-
Cummins law the railroads have taken
out of the public treasury a billion
and a half dollars, a sun greater than
our national debt prior 10 the late
war. Under the act, the interstate
commission vas virtually
required to raise railroad rates where
they would yield the railroads 6 per
cent interest on the aggregate value
of the roads. Because no other means
had been provided for determining the
aggregate value, of the roads, this
meant virtually the book value and
included all of the watered stock Of
the railroads throughout the United
States. Who has to pay for this! II
ultimately comes out of the consuming
public.
Meantime, the railroads, with the
able assistance of the republican party.
are seeking to break the backbone of
organized labor in the nation and to
reduce the tciIers' compensation far
below a living wage.
"On July /, 1921, the United States
railroad labor board reduced railroad
employees wages l. per cent.
.On August 16, 1921. the railroad
labor board reduced shop craft EN-
ployes a further reduction Of 10 per
cent.
'On July 1. 1922, the railroad labor
board again reduced the shop craft
employees II per cent. A total of "a
ner cent in their wages within one
year. Meanwhile. freight and passen-
ger rates have not been reduced in
proportion and the cost of living has
increased.
we now find the attorney general
of the nation asking for a most W
ranted injunction, asking that the en-
ployes be not allowed to present their
side of the cause to the public.
These are only a few of the many
things which the republican party has
done to show that it is utterly out of
sympathy with the great masses of
humanity"