Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-12-15

port and import trade A constant -
vision OF the taTtr by the congress Is
elstutolng ana harmful. The present Law
contains an elastic provison authorsziEe
the PRESIDENT 70 Increase or decrease pres
emf schedules not IN excess OF 50 per
centum TO meet the differ &c In cost 81
production at home and abroad This
ooes not 70 my mind. warrant a rAwrtt-
ing OF the whole law. but does mean. and
VIII be so admins cred. thar whenever
the required Investigation shows that In
equaHues or SUFFICIENT Importance -Nist
N any schedule. the power TO change
them should and Will be applied.
Shipping.
The entire well-beine OF our country IS
dependent upon transportation by sea and
Ifai our government during the war
acquired large merchant fleet which
should be transferred, as soon as nos
slpie. 10 private ownership and operation
uhueI conditions which would secure two
results First. and Of prime Importance
adequate means FOR national defense sec
ono adequate service 70 American COM
nerce. Until shipping conditions are such
tha( our Hect can be disposed OF advau-
tageously under these conditions " win
De operated as economically as possible
uhneF such plans as NAV be devised
from time to time by the shipping board
We must have a merchant marine which
meets these requirements and we shall
nave 20 pay the cost Of its service,
Public improvements.
The time has come 20 resume In a mod
crate way the opening OF our iutra-
coastal waterways The control OF Hood wa
ters OF The Mississippi and of the Colola-
an rivers the Improvement OF the water
ways from the Great Lakes toward the
Cur OF Mexico. and TIE DEVELOPMENT of
the great power and uaylEatiuu project of
TIE ST Lawrence river, for which efforts
are now being made To secure the nee
tssaiN treaty with Canada These prof
Gets cannot ali he undertaken M once
out all should have the immediate con
sheraton OF the congress and De aaaut-
ed as fast as plans can be matared and
the necessary funds become available.
Railroads
Criticism of the railroad law has
been directed. first 20 the section law
ing down the rule by which rates are
hNed. and providing for payment 10
the government and use Of excess earn
lukS second 10 the method for the
adjustment OF wage scales; and third.
tions
II 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
winch rates have been fixed To make
a rate that does not yield fair return
results in coutisCation. and Counscatory
rates are OF course unconstitutional
Unless the government adheres to the
rule OF making a rate that will Yield
falr return II must abandon rate
making altogether. The new aud i'm
portant feature of that part " the law
rs the recapture and redistribution OF
excess rates The constitutioualitv of
this method is now before the Supreme
court for adjudication Their decision
should be awaited before ATTEMPT ug
further legislation on this subject
Furthermore. the Importance of this
feature viii not be great II consotda-
tion goes into effect
The settlement Of railroad labor ola
putes is a matter OF grave public con
Germ. The labor board was estab-
ltshed to protect the public in the en-
Joyment Of continuous service by at
tempting to insure Justice between tbp
companies and their employees IL has
been ~~eat help. but is not altogether
satisfactory 20 the public the employ
ees. or the companies II a substantial
agreement can be reached among the
groups Interested. there should be ~o
hesitation in enactiuR such agreement
into law. II il Is not reached. the
labor board may very well he left for
the present rs protect the public wei
fare
Department OF Justice.
AS no revision Of the laws OF the
United States has been made since 1873
a commission or committee should be
created TO undertake this work The
judicial council reports that two more
eru district OF New York one in the
northern district uf Georgia and two
more circuit judges In the Circuit Court
Of Appeals Of the Eighth circuit Leg
islalon should be considered for this
purpose
The national government has never
given adequate attention to it's prison
problems II ought TO provide employ
ment in such forms Of production as
can be used b." the government though
NOT sold to the public I'm ppmpgtition