Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-02-23
ANOTHER GOVERNMENT?

ANOTHER GOVERNMENT!
A third United States Government?
For pity of tn taxpayers sake
aren't two enough; the government
through States and the government
federal? Richard Washburn Child
says no, in a very interesting article.
see Saturday Evening Post OF Feb
ruary 20.
The voters appear to be losing
interest in hat government powers
they now possess; is an increase
of the responsibility to Improve that!
IL 1t may carry conviction that some
thing desired can really be had.
possibly.
Mr.. Child appears sangutne. He
evidently is thoroughly convinced
that some Of our most important
problems may not be solved either
by the State acting individually or
collectively through the Federal
Government.
He leaves no doubt Of his opinion
respecting the inadequacy OF the
Federal Government to administer
some of our affairs as they need to
be. 1--WE want less national govern
ment and not more" he reminds US,
mot more exhaustion of the tax
payers paying Washington to fiddle
with affairs which are sectional
regional, local"
Capitalization under Wilson was
enough to cause Jefferson profound
distress did he know OF 1t, ana
assuming his opinions on such mat
ters had not undergone profound
changes. President Coolidge sees
and is apprehensive of this central
ization of governmental functions.
Under this trend States are In
clined to relinquish their powers;
the people composing these States
like dumb, driven cattle" follow the
line of least resistance. Let the
Government do It," AS though one
so might remain a self-governing
citizen.
This trend is emphasized by the
growing inability Of the State gov
eminent to function effectively in so
much of present-day affairs. Our
highways, both steel and concrete.
interlock; so 60 our telephones. so
do our desires for development of
our electrical capacity. We cannot
remain oblivious of the. demands
arising from such conditions.
Here Mr.. Child would come to
the rescue with a sphere of activity
,, for third United States with two
great fields, which he outlines. "The
voluntary adoption of uniform laws
by States in such cases as, for in
stance, the negotiable instrument
law and the warehouse act already
launched, or in such cases as may
call for uniformity, such as marriage
and divorce, child labor and other
social and economic regulations,
where uniformity rather than con-
fict is desirable for the nation as
a whole.
''The second is the voluntary COM
pacts between States to settle inter-
state problems; these compacts may
be permitted only by Congress
Under the Constitution compacts
between States may be made only
with the national Governments per-
! mission: but the national Govern
ment would probably have no re-
luctance in allowing cooperation
compacts solving problems of conflict
between States"
have supply of power to increase
the workers productivity. New
England. for instance, that already
is beginning to think of certain pro-
| blems as peculiar to itself, in other
words, as regit nal, may consider
what certain western States, con-
cerned Vim obtaining irrigation, have
| been permitted to do in the way OF
! pooling resources. Mr.. Child quotes
approvingly Owen D. YoungIs advice
to the New England conference at
Worcester. recently, and dwells on
advantages to be had through region
al pooling.
He concurs with Hoover that
Nothing will produce worse service
than to transfer local problems to
absentee solution at Washington =
Nothing could be more hideous
extension of Capitalization in the
Federal government than this to
undermine the State utility commits
sions and State responsibilities"
He perceives that "the real center
of our democracy is not Washington
but the thing called the community.
Nevertheless, there are certain laws
which, adopted uniformly by States,
would and, indeed, have relieved
economic and social problems" He
would adventure into a third United
States. Are we prepared to adven-
| ture with him?