Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-08


ings most urgently needed by an
annual appropriation of $5,000,-
900.
Regulatory Legislation
Cooperation with other mari
time powers is necessary for
complete protection of our coast
waters from pollution. Plans for
this are under way, but await
certain experiments for refuse
disposal. Meantime laws pro"
hibiting spreading oil and oil re-
fuse from vessels in our own
territorial waters would be most
helpful against this menace and
should be speedily enacted.
Laws should be passed regu.
lating aviation.
Revision is needed of the laws
regulating radio interference.
Legislation and regulations es-
tablishing load lines to provide
safe loading of vessels leaving
our ports are necessary and re-
codification of our navigation
laws is vital.
Revision of procedure Of the
4SQSIdl tIduS COIIlIlllSSlUn WILL
give more constructive purpose
to this department.
If our Alaskan fisheries are to
be saved from destruction, there
must be further legislation de-
claring a general policy and dele
eating the authority to make
rules and regulations to an 'ad-
ninistrative body.
Army and Navy
For several years we have been
decreasing the personnel of the
army and navy, and reducing
their power 20 the danger point.
Further reductions should not
be made. The army is :suaran-
tee of the security of our citi-
zens at home; the navy is a guar
antee of the security of on: citi-
zens abroad. Both of these serV-
ices should be Strengthened
rather than weakened. Addition
al planes are needed for the
army, and additional submarines
for the navy. The defenses Of
!'anama rnust be perfected. We
want no weakness that invites
imposition. A people who nug-
lect their national defense are
putting in jeopardy their ma
tional honor.
InsuIar Possessions
Conditions in the lnsuiar pos
sessions on the whole have nee3
good. Their business has been
reviving. They are teip.; admin
istered according to Jaw. That
effort has the full support of the
administration. Such recCmn!cn- .
dations as may come from nelr
Ieople or their governments
should have the most consld-
crate attention.
Education and Welfare
Our national government is
not doing as much as it legItl-
mately can do to promote the
welfare of the people. Our enor-
NOUS material wealth, our 1nStl-
tutions, our whole form of So
ciety. cannot be considered fully
successful until their benefits
reach the merit Of every individ-
ual. This is not a suggestion that
the government should, or could,
assume for the people the newt
able burdens of existence. There
is no method by which we can
either be relieved of the results
of our own folly or be guaran'
teed a successful life. There is
an unacceptable personal respon-
sibility for the development Of
character, of industry, of thrift,
and of self-contrOl. These do not
come from the government, but
from the people themselves. But
the government can and should
always be expressive of stead.
fast determination, always vigil
liant, to maintain conditions I'M
der which these virtues are most
likely to develop and secure rec
ognition and reward. This is the
American policy.
Health Protection
It is in accordance with this
principle that we have enacted
laws for the protection of the
public health and have adopted
prohibition in narcotic drugs and
Intoxicating liquors. For pur-
poses of national uniformity we
ought to provide, by constitutions
al amendment and appropriate
legislation, for a limitation of
child labor, and in all cases I'M
der the exclusive jurisdiction of
the federal government a mini
mum wage law for women,
which would undoubtedly find
sufficient power of enforcement
in the influence Of public opin-
ion.
Having in mind that educa-|
ton is peculiarly local prob
lem, and that it should always
be pursued with the largest free
dom of choice by students and
parents, nevertheless, the fed
eral government might we'll give
the benefit of its counsel and en-
COuragement more freely in this
direction. If anyone doubts the
need of concerted action by the
states of the nation for this
purpose, it is only necessary to
consider the appalling figures
of illiteracy representing a cOndi-
ton which does not vary much
in all parts of the union. l do
not favor the making of appro-
priations from the national treas
ury to be expended directly on
local education, but do. consider
it a fundamental requirement of
national activity, which, accom-
panied by allied subjects of well
fare, is worthy of a separate
dSpell Ill1O4AC anu IACtAN III SAAS
cabinet. The humanitarian side
of government should not be re-
pressed, but should be cultivated.
Mere intelligence, however, IS
not enough. Enlightenment
must be accompanied by that
moral power which is the prod
uct of the home and of religion.
Real education and true welfare
for the people rest inevitably on
this foundation, which the gov
eminent can approve and COM
mend, but which the people
themselves must create.
Immigration
American institutions rest sole
ly on good citizenship. They
were created by people who had
background of self-govern-
ment. New arrivals should be
limited to our capacity to absorb
them into the ranks Of good citi-
zenship. America must be kept
American. For this purpose, it
is necessary to continue a policy
of reStriOteG in1n1i ora ti0p IF