The Washington herald., 1922-08-21

assured a bumper small grain crop,
the sun has buckled down to work
and is working wonders with corn.
which had made adequate progress
during the first half of the season
but which required period Of
good hot days to mature IL prop
erly. This hot weather II is now
getting, and the prospects are eN-
cellent for an immense yield or
corn in this territory. Add to this
rosy outlook for grain the equally
happy condition of the potato crop
and other lesser products of the
farm. and it is no exaggerstion to
say that the Northwest is soon TO
be in a position to make up the
lost ground of the last two years
and take long strides forward.
Need Of Coal Acute.
All this is contingent on certain
eventualities. without doubt the
coal and rail strikes have had
most adverse influence on agricul-
tural and commercial progress here.
Regardless of the immensity of our
crops We must have certain
minimum amount of coal to run MS
through the winter. and that ire
ducible minimum is not yet forth
coming despite the efforts Of Secre-
tary Hoover, Gov. Preus of Mime
sofa. and other officials in high
places. We are, in fact, face to
face with q fuel famine of the
worst kind. unless coal begins
moving from the bituminous mines
IN III
very shortly. Only a small proper
tion of the normal volume of coal
has thus far been brought up the
lakes. and the time is rapidly grow
ing short when the emergency can
be properly met.
The tie-up has given the coal
companies fine opportunity to get
rid of quantities of bituminous
caused them to accumulate at Du-
luth and Superior. but all such sup
plies have been quickly absorbed by
large users of coal. and the bins al
the Twin Ports are already swept
bare-and the cold season hasn't
even begun.
Railways Must Ala.
As for the rail strike, 1t is quite
obvious that the smooth transports-
ton OF our crops to market depends
on the solution of that conflict. Un-
less the farmers can get cars, and
get them when they want them,
they will be unable TO take advan-
tage of favorable prices should
these occur. Up to the present, the
railways have been able to take
care Of the more urgent freight
traffic without trouble. But what
would happen should the brother
hoods join the shopmen may be
easily imagined. Then there would
be an imperative need for the gov
ernment to take over the railroads
temporarily.
AS 1t is. the public is rather in
clined to let the railways and the
shopmen work out their own des-
tiny. Our rail executives here have
contended all along that the shop
men hadn't the least good reason
for striking. and that any kind of
compromise would be q victory
for the men. For that reason, they
were among the most determined
opponents Of the Presidents plan
to submit the seniority question to
the Railway Labor Board or an in
dependent commission. To fill their
ranks. they have advertised extern
sively for new men, and at least
seem to be getting them. Certain
ly there seems to be a much more
hopeful attitude on their part to-
wards the strike situation, and
their resolute opposition to a COM
promise at Washington is proof
that they feel they can tight the
strike successfully.
The situation as far as the North
west Is concerned. then, may be
summed up about as follows: Crops
Of unsurpassed quality and guam
tity give promise of renewed pros
perity for this whole territory. un-
less the coal and rail strikes cause
an actual paralysis Of transporta-
tion and industry. q contingency
which the more optimistic OBJ
0oPYora hAHovN ~fll NJ A0ona1