Ellsworth American., 1924-11-12
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12, 1924.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12, 1924.
u According to federal statistics, the
cost of living is on the down grade,
though it is still 55 per cent. above
the pre-war level But, don't worry.
In England living costs are 20 per
cent. higher, in France 266 per cent,
in Belgium 393 per cent, in Italy
412 per cent.
4 correspondent of the Lewiston
journal, commenting on the proposed
repeal of The primary law, voices this
truism, THE cure for present weak
nesses is not to go back to evils of
bossism and the old convention sys-
TEN, but to build stronger and
more Just primary" The greatest
defect in the present primary law is
that it does not embrace all towns,
small as we'll rs large, in the party
enrolment provisions.
Administration control of The
sixty-ninth Congress over the demo-
Gratis and over any combination of
insurgent blocs and democrats was
made certain as final election reg
turns came in. The Republican
House lead is increased to an. extent
which makes it practically certain
that the republican organization will
have a working majority over the op-
position and the LaFollette insur-
eency. Republican gains gave the
administration its safe control over
the next House, and piled up a
nominal majority of ffty-hye. Such
margin would stand a House insur-
eency of twenty members, and still
command any legislative situation by
a clear majority of fifteen votes
In the midst of present-day agita-
tious i'm favor of the government tax
ing over all sorts of enterprises, and
with oft-expressed sentiment favor
ing government operation of both an
thracite and bituminous coal mines,
the national grange takes a pro-
nouuced stand on the question. At
recent session of that body an effort
was made to secure support for
proposal to submit to the several
states for ratification an amendment
to the Constitution of the United
States providing that the government
may acquire coal mines and go into
the business of production. By an
overwhelming vote the national
grange rejected this proposition and
put itself squarely on record as op-
posed to government ownership of
the mines.
Just a pipe dream" says the
Houlton Times, OF the old story re
yiyed in a Bangor paperSto the effect
that Aroostook county seeks divorce
from Maine and desires to set up
State housekeeping for itself
There's nothing to it," says the
Times. "Aroostook county always
has done its part to support State in
dustries, for it knows that indirectly
ii gets the benefit of such things.
The proposed bridge at Bath is
more or less than a part of
the State highway system, and Aroos-
took knows that better highways
benefit the State, and what benefits
the State benefits Aroostook, which is
not in a position to have realm of
its own. or cares to break away from
its mother and pay the bills for being
in a class by itself We're proud of
Maine and they are proud of us. So
what's the use? Just pipe dream y
The death on Sunday night of SEN
ator Lodge of Massachusetts removes
the last OF the old guard Of New Eng
land, the "aristocrat of the Senate,
in the public eye at Washington for
thirty-seven years. Senator Lodge
was admired, rather than loved, by
his political friends; feared, rather
than hated, by his political enemies.
He exerted a mastery in the Senate
because of his personal bearing, his
cool restraint in the heat of debate,
his knowledge of affairs, and the re-
markable array of facts he could al
ways marshal to his support and his
opponents discontinue. Senator
Lodges death may have been timely
He had passed the top of the curve
Of his political career. He could
never tamely have consented to be
a follower, and, differing greatly
from President Coolidge on many
important issues, his place as Senate
leader would have been seriously
challenged.
The Election.