Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-16

one hand the owners Of the securi-
ties. AS against these we have the
man who tolls and who must be
carried from his home to the fac
tory, the woman who must earn
her own living and the children
who attend school. They are truly
innocent. They r entitled TO hon
lest treatment. They should not be
called upon to furnish a return 10
on inflated securities; they should
not have to take from their hard
earned pay the sarge sums required
to bring a return to those who own
watered securities. There is no
equity Or honesty in according them
such treatment. There is no justice
in levying upon them such tribute
to give value to that which never
had real value.
AS between these two classes, in
weighing the equities, it is as clear
as day. hat the equities are in IA
vor of the great masses who go 20
! make UP the public-the innocent
public. We must therefore, follow
the course that brings this result.
Coal
The country is confronted with q
most serious situation so far as our
supply of coal is concerned. An
thracite coal is so scarce that it is
well nigh unobtainable, even at the
excessive prices now prevailing.
There is a prospect of much suffer
ing and hardship, especially among
the poor. Those who have not the
price, or who cannot afford to lay
in large stocks in early season and
who must buy from time to time
in small quantities look forward
with terror, and with apprehension
to what will happen to their wives
and little children.
How long shall be permit this 10
tolerable condition to exist? Those
who are responsible for it are in
deed ruthless and heartless. If the
Iconditions are due to selhshness and
la desire to profit, quick retribution
will and should follow.
Notwithstanding that this prob
lem, dealing with one of the neces-
saries of life. is a national one. it
may not be amiss to briefly discuss
it here.
Permanent relief must be- found
and there must be no more temper
izing.
\ what oI0 Liz Lag Ndd0VS
Of these conditions Is there any
reason for a scarcity of coal in a
nation like ours so abundant in It's
resources? Is it not possible to dis
cover who is to blame for this dis
tressing situation Everyone asks
the question.
What is the remedy? Does it lie
in regulation? Does it lie in laws
prohibiting combination? Will COM
petition produce results? Are the
railroads or the producers, or 9TH
ers responsible for this situation?
Is the government of the United
State $50 important that it cannot
} provide an answer to these ques-
ltions? Regulation has been tried
in every crisis that has confrontei
us in this difficult matter, but it
| seems to have failed.
If the congress longer negiects to
do its full duty then the several
states must take Up the problem,
l and O u such public sentiment as
will be irresistible, and whiSh will
l bring about a true statement of 81
the facts, of all the conditions, and
, action which will remedy the evils
Unless some permanent solution
: is reached, then we must call a halt
on this business, and the time will
have arrived when the government
in the exercise of its sovereign
> power, will be compelled to tax.
2 over the coal mines and the rail
roads serving the mines.
Within the state an investigate
. committee has found that there ar
combinations to fix and contro
e prices. and preferential methods tol
= control of distribution. This should
: be stopped, and, among other rem
edies the law recently repealed pro,
hibition and Furnishing unlawfu
s combinations should be re-enacted
l Cur people are patient, but the
l time has come for action.
Prohibition
There is no doubt that the cleo.
l torate spoke, and spoke decisively. al
the last election, on the subject OF
prohibition. The issue was clearI1
!, defined, and the positions of the
candidates unequivocal. Partisans or
, both sides waged aggressive am.
pa1gns, with hi the paramount is.
sue.
We must therefore tn
verdict of the people. All talk of 6
> referendum now is evasion, ant
> %evinces a lack of courage to face
conditions. We just had a referen
+, DUN.
o The question was. whether W,
should have prohibition with all it
attending evils, or temperance will
. all its attendant blessings.
e Our people are against the kind o
prohibition we have today. For W,
2 know that prohibition has brought il
its wake, its b~ootleggers, its violation
= of and disrespect for the law, its i'll
I effects upon youth, its increase of in
dulgences in hard liquors by adults
7 its generalization of public officials
r its corruption Of enforcement officers
! its pernicious effect upon public an
private conscience, its breeding o
hypocrisy, its disregard for the right
. of citizens, and the deprivation o
! their cherished constitutional right
i and privileges, its bad example t,
r those of foreign birth, who are thu
invited to disrepect and disregard
= not only this but all laws, its turnin!
D of III best citizens into participant
. in law violating, it's trail of thosa
who have been blinded, and thosl
who have been carried to the grave
its deprivation of medicine to tn
sick, aged and infirm, its demoraliz
ing example of law violation on TIL
sea by the government itself, its in
ternational complications, the OBJ
scuration at elections of all othe
important issues to that of prohibi
ton.
Instead of this our people prefe
temperance. Before the advent o
prohibition we had already mad,
rapid strides in this direction. Tn
younger generation was becoming
convinced that whiSkev was had 70