The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1923-07-14

~ -
pers.
The chief argument against
public ownership seems to be
that the people will not elect
a president and congress cap
able Of shutting out graft and
hiring competent managers.
Perhaps they would not sue
coed so long as the people
vote for the @. o. P. or re-
dictionary democrats. But the
people are losing their old
habits fast, and I am willing
to count on their rising to the
emergency.
Public ownership is a more
conservative proposition than
mere yelling at railroad rates,
to which some of the G. o. P.
politicians have turned to get
votes.
Whatever abuses there may
have been in railroads in the
past, it is now a fact that
railroad securities are held by
banks, insurance companies,
trust funds and colleges. IF
those securities are driven be-
low prices paid for them,
these vital institutions would
suffer. If we can't get the
reasonable rates without de-
stroying security values, surely
paying a fair price for them
now and giving the public a
chance to do something, is the
most reasonable way out. Con-
solidation of lines has been
much talked Of, but that cuts
out none Of the basic evils,
such as watering Of stock,
padding of costs, inside con-
tracing and milking by finan-
ciers. It is more of a plan to
prolong the agony than a plan
for relief.
THE SOLDIERS BONUS
''The disgraceful treatment of
the returned soldiers, both in
the matter Of low pay while
they were in the army, and in
the way they were brought
back and dumped on the labor
market without a plan, should
be recognized and righted so
far as possible. No reconstruc-
ton plan was worked out be-
cause Wall Street feared that
any expense for soldiers would
interfere with the repeal Of
the excess profits tax. Later
nothing was done for fear
that a bond issue would inter
fere with the initiation policy.
A soldiers bonus should be
paid, and I believe can be
paid, with taxation that can
not be shifted to the people.
I know of no reason, for ex-
ample, why anyone should in
herit a million dollars in Amer
lea while these soldier boys,
who sacrificed for their coun-
try, are without a small stake
to start life over again.
BRANCH BANKING.-"It
is a notorious fact that, by
winking at law violations by
the favored few and strained,
unreasonable interpretations Of
law by the G. p. machine both
in Washington and here, we
have produced much disrespect
for law, and lawlessness natur-
ally follows. Federal law, for
instance, clearly forbids branch
banking, and right here in
Minnesota the big banks are
gobbling up the smaller banks
with full G. O. P. approval.
If the big banks exempt them
selves from the law and are
allowed to do so, why be
surprised if the small fry,
down to chicken thieves, also
seek exemptions?
'ONE-MAN RULE.-I
believe that the assumed right
of the supreme court to declare
acts Of congress unconstitu-
tional by a 5 to 4 vote should
be ended. It amounts to one
man rule in legislation. No
other civilized country, to my
knowledge, gives its high
court such power. The con-
stitutional decisions should be
unanimous at least to be effec-
tive. I would be more inclined
to favor reducing the court to
the job Of interpreting the
ncss 81 s ss.; 4:.s:;e sseli.s ?
be less work for lawyers snd
more justice for the rest Of
Us. )"