The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-09

Washington, D. c., December s.
The President today called the at
tention of Congress to general world
conditions, which he said still were
seriously disturbed as a result of the
war. He asserted that thu inevi-
table readjustment of the social and
economic order is not more than
barely begun" and continued:
There never again will be pre-
cisely the old order; indeed, l know
of no one who thinks 1t to be desir-
able. From out of the old order came
the war itself, and the new order es-
tablished and made secure, never will
permit its recurrence.
1T is no figure of speech to say We
have come to the test of our civilisa-
ton. The world has been passing
is today passng-through a great
crisis. The conduct of war itself is
not more difficult than the solution
of the problems which necessarily
follow. l am not speaking at this
AhOAutAb VI lAo PlODltHi III Its WiucI
aspects of world rehabilitation or of
international relationships. The ref
erence is to our own social, financial
and economic problems at home.
These things are not to be consd-
cred solely as problems apart from
all international relationship, but
every nation must be able to carry
on for itself. else its interna .ional re-
lationship will have scant impor-
lance.
Crfticises Strike
Doubtless our own people have
emerged from the World war tumult
less impaired than most belligerent
powers; probably we have made lar
ger progress toward reconstruction.
Had we escaped the coal and railway
strikes, which had no excuse for their
beginning and less justification for
their delayed settlement, we should
have done infinitely better. But labor
was insistent on holding to the war
heights and needless forces of reac-
ton sought the pre-war levels, and
both were wrong.
The railway strike .accentuated
the difficulty of the American farm
er. The first distress of read
justment came to the farmer, and it
will not be readjustment fit to
abide until he is relieved. The dis
tress brought to the farmer does not
affect him alone. Agricultural Ill
fortune is a national i'll fortune.
This Congress already has taken
cognizance of the misfortune which
precpitate defIation brought to
apricuIfpra Vout. M a stiras
of relief and the reduction of the
federal reserve discount rate UNI
doubtedly saved the country from
widespread disaster. The very proof
of heipfulness already given Is the
strongest argument for the perma-
nent establishment of widened cred
it's. heretofore temporarily extended
through the war finance corporation.
Urges Farm Loans
1.-THE farm loan bureau, which all
ready has proven It's usefulness
through the federal land banks may
well have its powers enlarged to pro-
vide ample farm production credits
as well as enlarged land credits. 1t is
entirely practical to create division
in the federal land banks to deal with
production credits with the limita-
tons of time SO adjusted to the farm
turnover as the federal reserve sys-
tenn provides for the turnover in the
| manufacturing and mercantile world.
| Special provision must be made for
| live stock production credits and the
| limit of land loans may be safely
enlarged. Various measures are
| pending before you and the best
| judgment of Congress ought to be
| expressed in a prompt enactment at
| the present session.
But American agriculture needs
more than added credit facilities.
| The credits will help to solve the
pressing problems growing out OF
war-inflated land vafdes and the
| drastic deflation of three years
ago. but permanent and deserved az
riculture good fortune depends on
better and cheaper transportation.
Here is an outstanding problem de-
| handing the most rigorous consider
| alton of the Congress and the coun-
try.
Transportation Needs
I'm the last half of the year now
closing, the railways. broken in
carrying capacity because 81 motive
power and rolling stock out of order
though insistently declaring to the
| contrary. embargoed his shipments, or
1 denied him cars when fortunate mar
| kets were calling. Too frequently
transportation failed while perishable
| pro duets were turning from possible
profit to losses, counted in tens of
| millions.
II know of no problem exceeding in
| Importance this one of transporta-
| ton. We have built 40 per cent of
| tha VIZ rid mi 1aa
/ find it Inadequate to our present re-
quirements. When we contemplate
the inadequacy of today. it is easy
to believe that the next few decades
will witness the paralysis of our
transportation. using social schemes
| or complete reorganization on SC me
new basis"
"Manifestly we have need to begin
| on plans to coordinate all transport
tation facilities. We should more eff
fectively connect up our rail lines
with cur carriers by sea. We ought
to reap some benefit from the hun
dreds of millions expended on inland
waterways, providing our capacity to
utilize as we'll as expenc. We ought
to turn the motor truck Into rail-
way feeder and distributor, instead
of a destroying competitor.
Sought Rate Reduction
This transportation problem can
not be waived aside. The demand for
lowered costs on farm products and
basic materials cannot be ignored.
Rates horizontally increased to meet
increased wage OUTLAWS during the
war initiation are not easily reduced.
When some very moderate wage re-
auctions were effected last summer
there was 8 per cent horizontal re-
|