The Tomahawk., 1923-12-13

| ent schedules not In excess Of 30 per
| centum to meet the difference in cost .
production at home and abroad This
does not to my mind warrant rewrit
| ing of the whole law. but does mean, and
the required investiga ton shows that ~
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 ami
| land Our government during the war
acquired a large merchant fleet which
should be transferred. as soon as pos
| 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-
tageOusly under these conditions. II will
be operated as economically as possible
under such plans as may be devised
from time to time by the shipping board
We must have merchant marine which
meets these requirements, and we shall
have to pay the cost OF It's service.
Public improvements.
The time has come to resume In a mod.
crate way the opening OF our intra-
coastal waterways; the control of food wa
ters OF the Mississippi and Of the Coora-
do rivers. the Improvement OF the water
ways from the Great Lakes toward the
Gulf Of Mexico. and the development OF
the great power ana navigation project or
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.
sideration 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,
lions.
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 as, always been the rule under
q rate that does not yield a fair return
results In contscation. and confiscatory
rates are OF course unconstitutional.
rule OF making . rate that will yield
a fair return. It must abandon rate
making altogether. The new and i'm
excess rates. The constitutionality Of
this method 10 now before the supreme
further legislation on this subject
Furthermore. the Importance Of this
t feature re-. VIII not be great II consoiida-
The settlement Of railroad labor dis
putes 10 a matter of grave public con-
Germ. The labor board was .estab-
joyment Of continuous service by at.
tempting to insure justice between the
companies and their employees. 1t has
satisfactory to the public. the employ
ees. or the companies II a substantial
agreement can be reached among the
groups Interested, there should be no
hesitation in enacting such agreement
into law. II IL 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
United States has been made since 1878,
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.
given adequate attention to it's prison
ment in such forms OF production as
Soe seS to the euc in
with private business for all prisoners
who can be placed at work. and for
which they should receive q reasonable
compensation. available for their de-
pendents
Prohibition.
me prohibition amendment to the
Constitution requires the congress and
the President to provide adequate laws
to enforce such laws. For that pur-
pose treaty Is being negotiated with
Great Britain with respect to the right
Vent se sm%gsIins. . the coast sS guard shoufd
he greatly strengthened. and a supply
Of swift power boats should be pro
xded The major r. sources Of pfodue
every effort should be made to suppress
Interstate traffic. With this action on
the part OF the national government.
rendered by municipal and state au-
thorities. prohibition should be made
effective. Free government has no
greater menace than disrespect for
authority and continual violation Of
law. 1t 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
The Negro.
Numbered among our population are
some 100000 colored people. Under
our Constitution their rights are just
as sacred as those of any other citizen.
1t 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 majority 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.
Revision 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;
the navy is a guarantee of the security
OF our citizens abroad Both OF these
services should be strengthened rather
| than weakened. Additional planes are
ha additional