Milford chronicle., 1926-07-02

SOME GOOD CITIZENS advocate
the removal of all protective tariffs,
on the theory that America with her
superior manufacturing genius
would still be ahead of foreign rivals
for the American market.
We might throw open the patent
field and let the world in on basic
patents, on the same theory. The tar
iff is as old as organized society, and
has been used by leading countries
to build up certain agricultural and
manufacturing pursuits as national
assets, and to prevent dependence on
foreign supplies.
1t is true that the better one does
his job, the less he needs a law to
protect or bolster him up in farming,
manufacturing or any form of hu-
man endeaVor. Some farmers and
some localities can laugh at import
ed wheat, beef, wool, linen, sugar;
they can raise at a profit for less.
But the laws are made for the aver
age man, and not for the exceptional
farmer or manufacturer who con-
jures profits out of conditions where
others fail. The protective tariff has
stood the test of years, it still stands
as the best guarantee we have to up
hold American wages and standards
of living.
Do@
PAVED ROADS used to be our
chief concern in a good roads pro-
gram. 1t is estimated that this year
we will have in excess of 100000
miles of hard-surfaced roads in the
United States. These improved roads
have brought an increase in traffic
which no one even dreamed Of ten
years ago. The problems we now
face is not only paved" roads, but
wider" roads. Wider roads are
necessary for two reasons: to enable
traffic to speed up, and to prevent ac-
cidents. On many Of our crowded
narrow roads a slow moving truck
or other vehicle will block traffic,
due to the fact that there is little
opportunity to pass such obstruc-
tions from the rear.
Many states have already started
to remedy this situation, by building
three or four foot shoulders at the
side of the road. From now on, road
widening will be as important as
road paving. The tendency is to make
all the new roads with less crown.
Se@
NO FEATURE of newspaper work
is recognized as more important
than the constructive force of jour-
nallsm in promoting good will and
cooperation among all classes and
all sections of our country. Har-
mony and prosperity and our finan-
cial and industrial welfare depend
upon the understanding of one class
or section by another.
It is a well established fact of his
tory, that newspapers have enor-
nous latent constructive or destruc-
tive powers-they can make war
or spoil a peace.
Their influence in either direction
is stremendous-possibly greater than
many editors are willing to admit.
Newspapers are an institution Of
democracy, but their power and in
fuence can be no greater than the
thought prompting and supporting
their editorial policy.
Re@
SPEAKING at the Sesqui- -Centen-
NAL Of the Virginia colonial resolu-
tions for American freedom, Presi-
dent Coolidge recently gave an i'm
pressive address on the functions of
the state. He urged the people to
make their local government and
business units so sane and strong
that there could be neither need nor
excuse for federal interference. He
said that no plan Of Capitalization
ever has been adopted that did not
result in bureaucracy, tyranny and
infexibility.
This is not news to historians or
students of human affairs. But it
gains force through being the sober,
official expression of a peculiarly
astute American, just at a time when
there are some shouters for a fed
eral-ownership penacea.
%ee
BREAKING away from the one
crop plan of farming requires more
scientific methods and longer sea-
sons of work. But it means getting
farming on a business basis.
This does not necessitate making
wheat, corn or cotton secondary
crops or to produce materially less
of these, but to build up sources of |
nroft in other things. Reduced acra-