Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-12-13

vision of the tariff by the congress is
disturbing and harmful The present law
contains an elastic provision authorizing
| the President to increase or decrease pres
| ent schedules not in excess of 90 per
centum to meet the difference in cost OF
production at home and abroad. Thls
/ does not, to my mind warrant reWrit-
| ing of the whole law, but does mean, and
will be so administered, that whenever
| the required investigation shows that IN
| equalities of sufficient Importance exist
! in any schedule. the power to change
them should and will be applied.
Shipping.
The entire well-being of our country is
| dependent upon transportation by sea and
| land Our government during the war
| acquired a large merchant fleet which
| Sible, to private ownership and operation
under conditions which would secure two
results: First, and of prime importance,
adequate means for national defense; Sec
| ond, adequate service to American COM
merce. Until shipping conditions are such
| that our fleet can be disposed of advan-
| be operated as economically. as possible
under such plans as may be devised
] from time to time by the shipping board
| We must have a merchant marine which
| meets these requirements, and we shall
| have to pay the cost of its service.
Public improvements.
The time has come to resume in a mod
crate way the opening of our intra-
| coastal waterways, the control of flood wa
| ters of the Mississippi and of the Colora-
do rivers, the Improvement of the water
ways from the Great Lakes toward the
| Gulf of Mexico and the development of
the great power and navigation project Of
1 the ST Lawrence river. for which efforts
are now being made to secure the nee
essary treaty with Canada These prof.
ects cannot all be undertaken at once,
but all should have the immediate con-
| sidera ton of the congress and be adopt
/ ed as fast as plans can be matured and
the necessary funds become available.
Railroads.
Criticism of the railroad law has
| been directed. first, to the section lay
| ing down the rule by which rates are
! fixed, and providing for payment to
| the government and use of excess earn
adjustment of wage scales; and third,
| to the authority permitting consolida-
| tons.
1t has been enormously assumed that
the act undertakes to guarantee rail-
road earnings. The law requires that
rates should be just and reasonable
That has always been the rule under
which rates have been fixed. To make
| a rate that does not WELD fair return
| results in conflscation, and confiScatory
rates are of course unconstitutional.
Unless the government adheres to the
rule of making rate that will yield
fair return, 1t must abandon rate
making altogether. The new and i'm
portant feature of that part of the law
/
excess rates. The constitutionality of
this method is now before the Supreme
court for adjudication. Their decision
should be awaited before attempting
Furthermore, the Importance of this
feature will not be great If consolida-
ton goes into effect.
The settlement of railroad labor dis
putes is matter of grave public con-
Germ. The labor board was estab-
Iished to protect the public in the en-
1 joyment of continuous service by at
tempting to insure justice between the
companies and their employees. 1t has
/ been Great help, but is not altogether
satisfactory to the public, the employ
| ees. or the companies. If substantial
agreement can be reached among the
| groups interested, there should be no
! hesitation in enacting such agreement
into law IT it is not reached, the
labor board may very well be left for
the present TO protect the public well
| fare
Department of Justice.
AS no revision of the laws of the
| a commission or committee should be
| created to undertake this work. The
| judicial council reports that two more
| district judges are needed in the south
ern district of New York, one in the
northern district of Georgia. and two
more circuit judges in the Circuit Court
| of Appeals of the Eighth circuit. Leg
islation should be considered for this
] purpose.
The national government has never
! given adequate attention. to its prison
problems 1t ought to provide employ
ment in such forms of production as
can be used by the government, though
not sold to the public in competition
| with private business. for all prisoners
who can be placed at work, and for
which they should receive a reasonable
compensation. available for their de-
Prohibition.
- ,,,.o1,;Ii+io,, onoondpoan+ ~ fbo
| Constitution requires the congress and
the President to provide adequate laws
to prevent its violation 1t is my duty
! to enforce such laws. For that pur-
pose treaty is being negotiated with
! Great Britain with respect to the right
| of search of lowering vessels. To pre-
vent smuggling. the coast guard should
be greatly strengthened. and supply
of swift power boats should be pro-
vided The major sources of produce
| ton should be rigidly regulated. and
interstate traffic. With this action on
/ the part of the national government,
and the cooperation which is usually
rendered by municipal and state au-
| thorities,- prohibition should be rlade
! effective. Free government has no
greater menace than disrespect for
authority and continual violation of
law. It is the duty of a citizen not
only to observe the law but to let it
be known that he is opposed to its
violation.
JIG NS9TO-
Numbered among our population are
some 100000 colored people Under
our Constitution their rights are just
as sacred as those of any other citizen.
IT is both a public and a private duty
| to protect those rights. The congress
ought to exercise all its powers of pre-
vention and punishment against the
hideous crime of lynching, of which
| the negroes are by no means the sole
sufferers, but for which they furnish
| a ma jority of the victims
Regulatory Legislation
Cooperation with other maritime pow
ers is necessary for complete protection
of our coast waters from pollution. Plans
for this are under way, but await certain
experiments for refuse disposal. Mean
time laws prohibiting spreading oil and
oil refuse from vessels in our own terri
torial waters would be most helpful
against this menace and should be speed
lily enacted.
laws should be passed regulating avi-
alton.
+ nevision is needed of the laws regulat-
ing radio interference.
Army and Navy.
For several years we have been de-
creasing the personnel of the army and
navy, and reducing their power to the
danger point. Further reductions should
not be made. The army is a guarantee
of the security of our citizens at home;
of our citizens abroad Both of these
services should be strengthened rather
than weakened. Additional planes are
needed for the army. and additional sub
marines for the navy.
Education and Welfare.
Our national government is not doing as
much as it legitimately. can do to pro-