Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-01-25
......-.-.-....s. Observation-Disclosures
! Comment and Criticism
49, Observation-Disclosures

= Comment and Criticism :
Observation-Disclosures.
Nicholas Murray Butler, President
Of Columbia University. deserves the
thanks Of every lover Of freedom for
his vigorous defense of free speech, in
answer TO a letter protesting against
lecture to be given a. Columbia
next summer by Papini, the famous
Italian author. Because Papini has
said some disagreeabe things about
America, certain persons have sought
to bar him from speaking at the uni
yersity.
There is no more unhappy tend
ency in our contemporary American
life wrote DR.. Butler. than that to
prosecute those individuals and those
doctrines with which we may not our
selves happen to agree. This spirit
of persecution is far more un-Ameri-
can than anything which Signor
Papini or any other distinguished
European man Of letters could posi-
bly, say or write about us"
In the past, DR.. Butler has on more
than one occasion been accused of
free speech at Columbia. If the charg-
es were true, he has evidently under
gone a change Of heart, as his deelara-
ton in favor of mental freedom is
direct, TO the point and greatly needed
in this day when so many Americans
apparently think that free speech is
all right for themselves but wrong
for the other fellow.
More "unfavorable mention" in
the newspapers for the PENNSYLVANIA
railroad, which is still fighting the
shipments unions.
The other day Senator Harrison
directed the attention of the Senate
and the nation to the propaganda on
behalf of the Mellon tax reduction
plan carried on by the Pennsylvania
system.
Senator Harrison told the Senate
that there was a concerted effort to
push the Mellon plan, which many
believe favors the rich tax payer at
the expense of the wage Garner. He
said that not only are the banks,
newspapers and motion picture in
terests busy in behalf of the Mellon
plan but that he had been surprised
to find the Pennsylvania railroad de-
voting considerable space on its din
ing car menus to the same object.
Hard on the heels of Senator Harri-
sons charges, came the news that
inspectors of the Interstate Commerce
Commission had ordered out of service
defective locomotives from fast Penn
sylvanla passenger trains at Indian
apolis. FLYERS Engines Junked"
was the way the New York World
headlined the story.
The Pennsylvania should be forced
''to stick to its last" and furnish safe
transportation, and leave propaganda
alone. In running defective locomo-
tives, the railroad is risking disas-
trous wrecks. Perhaps if it devoted
les attention to booming the Mellon
tax scheme and more to keeping its
locomotives efficient, they would not
be linked with the word "junk" in
newspaper head lines, But to keep
its locomotives in order, it must make
peace with the shopmen and get eff
cient union workmen back on the Job.
This, i'm its present state of mind,
seems to be the last thing the Penn
sylvania is considering, despite the
fact that its rival, the Baltimore &
Ohio is cooperating with organized
labor in its shops and is finding that
it pays big dividends in money and
service.
49,
People who think that international
cooperation brings no results are
respectfully invited to study what has
been accomplished bf the International
Labor Organization, set up by the
Treaty of Paris.
The first conference of the Inter-
national Labor Organization was held
in 1919. Since then, agreements re-
garding labor conditions drawn up by
the annual conference have been
ratified by states all over the world
in los cases. In addition, the govern
ments of many states have recon-
mended ratification in 1874 other cases.
Latest to ratify International La
Dor Organization agreements is
Sweden; which has approved laws
concerning the age of children in agri-
cultural work, the RIGHTS of association
ton of farm workers, workmen's
compensation in agriculture and the
ues of white lead in painting.
This progress will be hard for
hard boiled" isolationists to explain,
as they say that international CO.
operation brings nothing but discord.
The truth of the matter is that with
drawal into ones shell, with no con-
tact with the outside world, is the
best way to strengthen that blind pre-
JUDGE and hatred which brings inter
national hostility and war.
-
The newspapers report that the
Lehigh & Wikes-B Barre Coal Com
pany, one of the oldest and largest
anthracite coal companies in the coun-
try, has declared an so per cent divi-
dend. This should make interesting
reading for the coal consumers whose
coal has advanced in cost by leaps
and bounds. Perhaps it will occur to
, them that maybe they've been paying
high prices to maintain big dividends.