The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1922-03-10
Mistakes of Government.

Mistakes or government.
Returning to the proposition tina
The Government might do a Ions
sight better to turn its attention t
the things that have a tendency tt
develop the rural sections of the
country, there is a thought in thi:
that carries us back to the time wher
one excuse for the tariff was to pro-
tect the infant industries of the
country. That infant has grown tC
be a giant, and this giant has never
been weaned. Protection, in one
way or another, in various DISCUSSES
has been and is still being provided
in the name of industrial promotion
One of the giants is the railroad sys-
tenn. Mention was made last week
of how Secretary Hoover wanted an
extension of two billions for the rail
roads on the ground of general prog
ress. Now comes Herbert Quick in
the Saturday Evening Post who is
interested in an increase of capacity
and facilities for the united railroads
to take care of future business. He
makes some very tall figures-all for
the railroads. So the river terminals
will come along and urge as the mat
ter of greatest vital importance the
rivers and harbors of the country,
The vast interior-the rural area
gets very little expert publicity and
propaganda.
1t seems to us, with the small Wis
ion of country paper, that the Gov
eminent channel is forced up
stream, with an immense cost and
waste of propelling power In order
to make the proposition a little clear
er, it is a fact that the railroads have
for years taken advantage of the
rural sections by discrimination in
the long and short haul tariff systems
No use going into details. This fact
has been a matter of public exhibit
for many years, and the rural COM
munities and centers have been grad
ually and persistently made to con-
tribute of their substance and popu-
lace to the cities and terminals
thereby reducing rural ability, ad-
vantages and opportunities.
But that is not by any means the
extent of this damaging process
There are other agencies working
against the rural communities. Some
of these things are largely the cause
%; the present agricultural depres-
sion. This is what we have in mind
The packing houses and terminal in
.dustries are forcing the double trans
portation of livestock and agricul-
tural products, and this is one of the
false features of Hoover's and Quick's
promotion plans. The livestock must
be shipped to market and back again
in finished products. That makes an
unwarranted cost to the consumer.
The cotton and wheat producers,
where the belts are close together,
mist by force of circumstances in
order to exchange ship long dis
tances. That creates a condition,
and that condition is the feeding
OF the railroads and the mills at the
expense of the farmer and the con
sumner.
These are the giant industries
which the Government has for years
pledged to protect and continues so
to do until the rural sections in many
places are actually helpless.
There needs to be complete re-
versal of the entire system. The
should turn it's attention
to the agencies which encourage and
foster the interests of the vast Amer
lean rural communities. Instead Of
a continual drain in money and hui
man forces upon rural life the Gov
er1ment, in place OF devoting the
lions share of its attention to rail-
roads, waterways and other big pub
lie and private promotions, should
give its aid to such enterprises as
public highways, to local community
milling and manufacturing. Let each
community be Independent by pro-
ducing and preparing its own foods,
by making it's own wearing apparel,
by general community thrift and en-
terprise, thereby rendering large
Der centage of double transportation