The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-06-01
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
BY J. f. Jones

CILlIlS tHdI HOIIIDlc lTuSIS WHO
would recover their property" are
dominating the United States gov
eminent in its handling Of Russian
affairs. Americas charitable expen-
ditures in Russia this year will be
greater than all the rest Of the world,
and will exceed in their total sum
more than all the property value of
the trusts" that have property tied
up in Rurria. Mr.. Hoover says that
the great Russian nation "is suffer
ing agonies that the world has not
known since the dark ages" but he
insists that the remedy lis in evolu-
ton not revolution" According to
his estimates the lives of ten million
people will be saved in Russia this
year through American charity. He
comments: The solution cannot be
found in charity, for unless productiv-
ity is restored charity will be over
whelmed. Real and lasting help must
be based upon cold economics or it
VIII bring no real reconstruction or
relief to Russia" Mr.. Hoover pro-
duces cold economic facts to show
that our foreign commerce with Rus
STA never was important and that a
Soviet ambassador in Washington and
more political officials would not
change the situation, for the simple
reason that goods do not move in
an economic vacuum" In this last
expression Mr.. Hoover has defined
the present condition Of Russia-It
is our economic vacuum" He also
produces a remedy for the Russian
situation, and that remedy lies solely
in the restoration of the dynamic
forces Of productivity and the estab-
lishment OF security for investment"
Hoover is rather heavy at times
and he keeps ones brain turbulent in
trying to follow him; but the above
excerpt from his resume Of the Rus
sian situation is worth getting a head.
ache over, since it conveys a pretty
good understanding of what really is
the matter with Russia-and the why.
fores that actuate, the administration
in standing aloof until productivity
and security in the Russian govern
ment are re-~established.
The good sought is unconstitution-
al legislation" said Chief Justice Taft
in rendering the opinion of the
United States supreme court that de-
legislation, passed by congress in
1919, was intended to regulate the
employment of children in factories
and workshops, under the age of II,
or in any mine or quarry under the
age Of 16. Undoubtedly the purpose
OF the law was designed to promote
the highest good, but the supreme
court found that congress in entering
the fields of the states to prescribe
the mode of life for individuals, was
clearly outside its functions, since
the legislation was within the prov
ince Of the states. I'm the mainten-
ance of local self-government on the
one hand" says the court, land the
national power on the other our coun
try has been able TO endure and to
prosper for nearly a century and a
half"
And would it be an infraction of
judicial profoundly TO add by way
OF comment. that for all that nearly
a century and a half this same
United States court has been engaged
in defining the points where federal
and state authorities and rights di-
vided in their pathways. Chief Just
ice Taft writes so good an opinion
that he makes it appear that the child
labor question belongs to the states
to decide. Congress to their own
methods of thinking didn't know, at
the outset, that they were creating
ar unconstitutional law"
When Chief Justice Taft defined
the meaning Of the constitution in
the child labor law case a few DAYS
ago he did just what every chief Just.
ice before him had been obliged to do. |
One might almost suspect that this
grand old document evolved by our
forefathers and fought out and over.
in the great debates at Richmond and
Concord and Boston was 'as clear as
mud" President Harding, in the
course Of a message to congress last
December, said that he belonged to
that school Of thought which is hest.
tant about altering the fundamental
law" but he nevertheless suggested
another amendment to it. His rec.
ommendation has received the an.
prevail Of the ways and mean commit
tee of the house, which in a report To
congress explains that this particular
amendment proposes to strike at an
evil in u system Of taxation which
Is already great and, if unchecked.
will grow to such magnitude as to
even threaten the existence of u in.
situations" Tax-exempt securities.
the report states, have reached a.
total Of from ten to twenty billions of
dollars. The practice of issuing tax.
free securities is common with NUM-.
opal governments. and they are the
worst of all offenders. The ease of