The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1922-01-05

per cent of the total trade of the
country, it is commonly looked upon
as the outlet for our surplus produc-
tive capacity of agriculture, trans
portation, and manufacture and as a
stabilizer of business. A healthy
and prosperous foreign trade has be-
come of increased importance to a
great many of our citizens. 1t is
consequently of serious domestic
concern.
While it is possible that a high,
protective tariff on some articles may
be proper, there is surely nothing in
our economic situation which justi-
fies the adoption Of a general tariff
policy that will, in effect, erect bar
rier around our ports and isolate US
commercially.
1t would seem to be equally illog-
ical for Congress to endeavor to re-
duce the onerous taxation burden,
which is handicapping business, if it
continues to spend the taxpayers
money extravagantly.
SOME TAX FIGURES.
1t should be remembered that gov
ernmental expenditures for 1920 ex-
ceeded those from 1891 to 1865, in
elusive, period of IA years. Furth-
ermore, it is imperative for the tax
payers of this country seriously to
consider the fact that obligations
arising out of the recent and earlier
wars, together with the current ex-
penses of the War and Navy depart
ments, constituted 92.S per cent Of
the total appropriations for 1920.
Congress has appropriated for the
military and naval establishments for
the fiscal year 1922 the sum of
$685., 1897, ,939. If we take these ap-
preparations as fairly representative
of our annual military and naval ex-
penditures in the future it will be
seen that, while Germany is paying
S26, ,000,000,000 as interest and
amortization Of her present repara-
tons obligations of 50,o00,0O0,0O0
gold marks, the United States will
have expended in the same period
$50, ,000, 100000 for military and ma
val purposes.
Germany, it should be recalled, in
cidentatlly, has practically been re-
lieved of her army and navy under
the provisions Of the Treaty. She
can therefore, divert revenues and
labor that would otherwise be ex-
pended for armament into more pro-
ductive channels.
There would also seem to be little
use in spending billions of dollars to
create a great merchant marine and
in spending millions of more dollars
to operate it, so long as we handicap
it by laws that do not permit us to
meet foreign shipping competition
on an equal basis.
And there is imperative need for
closer cooperation among the va
rious elements of our economic struc-
ture, especially in reducing produc-
ton costs. We cannot revive pros
perity until the prices of other COM
modities are properly adjusted to
those of primary products, particular
ly agricultural products.
As TO WAGES.
The readjustment of production
costs has been retarded by the fact
that wages have declined less rapid
ly than wholesale prices. The lag
ging of wage revision is characters
tic of periods of falling prices II is
occasioned in some part by the cor
responding failure of retail prices
promptly to follow wholesale prices
in the downward revision. The per-
sistence of high costs of living pre-
vents more prompt readjustment of
wage scales. Nevertheless, wages
are declining and, generally speak
ing, the revision has been effected
without extraordinary resistance on
the part of the workers. AS retail
prices decline the necessary wage
readjustment will be fastened, with
consequent encouragement of pro-
duction and consumption.
These are only few instances of
many which could be cited to DEM
onstrate that there is as great need
for the effective coordination of our
economic factors while We are in the
throes of the aftermath of war, as
there was during the war-which, in
the final analysis, was won more by
the close cooperation of those fac
tors than by the drums and arna-
ment.
LosT-Log chain, between the Chas.
Heinrich place. Sand Hollow. and Hin