The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1923-07-04

up IN any country
The president has rendered an ac-
counting of his stewardship of more
tran two years in office, and he
brings us optimism of a most en-
couraging nature when he reports a
lowering of federal taxes, a big re-
ductiOn of the national debt and the
settlement of the British debt. which.
he adds, will be of tremendous aid in
reducing our own national debt. His
promise to lower still further federal
taxation is most encouraging, and the
data which he supplies on this sub
ject is most illuminating.
The discussions which Mr. Harding
has carried on have been enTightening
and exceedingly beneficial to the
western people because these questions
reach to the very foundation of Amer
lean liberty and security.
One of the most serious problems
of the present day is our coal produc-
tion. Our very existence in some sec
tions of the country has been threat
ened the past few years during strike
periods, and today, the President re-
ports, anxiety exists in New England
over next winters coal supply. This
same anxiety will surely be felt to
some extent all over the country until
some solution is found which will
guarantee ample coal supply to pro-
tect the health of the American citi-
zen and his family.
The President brings US a ray of
hope in this connection; he says "the
government is not blind to the stu
alton or deaf to appeals" and an
nounces that under authority of an
: act of Congress a commission of able
men has started a thorough investiga-
ton of this serious problem, looking
thoroughly into the labor controversy,
living conditions in coal mining COM
/ munities, inadeQuacies which prevent
prompt distribution, engineering pro-
/, blems and apparent excuses in coal
charges, and will report to Congress
2 next December.
= The President expresses the hope
e that this investigation will disclose
adequate remedies. He favors publ
f city which will make greed impossible;
e he suggests as a relief Measure vast
; storage of coal supplies during seas
ons of light consumption, and he asks
: the public to help by laying in coal
o before the cold weather comes. He
is also mindful of the unsatisfactory
q conditions surrounding the miners who
It only have one hundred to one hundred
fifty working days in the year.
e The President expresses optimism
IS over our transportation problems, adj
hitting, however, that the solution
would be exceedingly difficult.
= No country a enjoy full prosperity
J. unless transportation facilities art
adequate or unless transportation
rates will allow both the railroads anC
the shipping interests to prosper: Mr.
n Harding informs US that Gin much o.
At our territory we need more railroad
facilities, and somehow will have t.
,d supply them in the near future. It i
stated on highfauthority that the in
81 direct losses on industry and com
merce due to insufficient transporta
ton run into figures equal to tn
Al burdens of federal taxation. On tn
- other hand there are some railroad
in this country the building of whic
!. would better have been deferred, an
= we have many railroads which, thong
"a apparently well managed and absolu
tely necessary to the communities the
: serve, are finding it difficult to ear
a living, and quite impossible to pre-
vide the necessary maintenance an
- the means of expanded facilities" p
= told us that we could not replace OF
railroads for a vastly larger sum tina
" the valuation placed upon them by tt
NJ Interstate Commerce Commission, ar
= it is fortunate for our people that v
do not have to contemplate a ia
structure founded upon repIacemel
cost" MIR. Harding explained TIL
these distressing conditions had MAJ
it impossible for the railroads to O
tain capital for expansion purpose
but he is relying upon the consolid
ton scheme together with furth
legislation along this line to gi
satisfactory solution to this most tr
ing problem.
We Americans want to live in
countary where a man has an oppC
tunity to provide comforts, EDUCATE
and culture for those whom he low
and no better opportunity could
chosen to fortify ourselves against t
fallacies that ruin Russia. The Pre-
dent, although he makes no menti
of the foregoing, furnishes plenty
food for thought along this line.
declares against government own,
ship of the railroads and the c.
mines, and states that the COVER
ment could not operate the railrOs
without enormous loss. Another va
able reminder from one of Mr.. Hal
ing's speeches is that property rigl
in railway investments are entitled
every consideration under our cons
tuition which is due to property rig
o~~rL~~o - #s.