The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-01-04
[lqll'ji'lla{I'9 ffSljqe(k
National Topics Interpreted "a f0n5{4
by William Bruckart knEl11H

-. uSAn -ZLf1QUll :
standing year ago and less when
public works" were being promoted
that the construction to be undertaken
by the government should not be Of the
sort that would compete with, or ham,
per the operation OF, private business.
No one suggested that, for the sake
OF relief, there should be parallelinE
of railroad tracks, one Of them govern
ment owned. While that was not done
1T is an exaggerated illustration-the
government has promoted construc-
ton that has taken trafic away from
the railroads by expanding every
known artery Of highways. At the
rate the Tennessee Valley authority
is moving. private enterprises OF va
rious kinds will be driven out of ex-
istence by q government agency.
Then, the Public Works administra-
tion turned down loan that was
sought the other day by the city Of
Fort Worth, Texas, with which to
build a municipal power plant. What
has happened since, I do not know,
but the reason for the first refusal
was that the Fort Worth folks had not
made rate schedules lower for their
projected plant than were charged
by private interests.
There are numerous examples avail
able, but the import of each IL the
same. And they all give rise to the
question: ought the government Of the
United States subsidixe. directly or
indirectly. such developments, drive
out private business and then make up
the difference from the general tax
payers of the country7 From this
vantage point, 1t looks to be decidedly
questionable as form OF public works
even In the guise of relief. Politicians
who support TINT sort OF thing, be-
lieve, will wish sometime they had
not done so.
History does repeat itself
In the days before you and ! were
young. Maggie, the
Htstory system of barter WAS
P.r-ct. the only means OF
selling or buying the
things the folks of those days needed
or desired. / do not suppose. how
ever, that they ever thought the Amer
lean government would adopt sys-
tenn OF barter by which commodity
would be traded for a human being.
| Yet, that Is Just what has happened
In this day OF so-ealled high civiliza-
| tIon.
1t seems that Samuel insult, the Chi
cagoan, who had built up quite a big
business In city light and power plants
| and other utilities, In still In Greece.
| Some OF the folks In Chicago would
| like to talk to Mr.. insult Or, rather.
they would like to put him on wit
ness stand before a judge and jury and
| then ask him questions. So 1t was
natural that they should seek the
| aid OF the government at Wash
| ington In their efforts to persuade
| the government OF Greece to help
| Mr.. insult over the boundary line
OF their country. Greece did not join
so readily with that plan, because Mr..
insult was regarded by the Greeks ns
a nice man. Now, here La where his
try repeats.
/ There came day when prohibition
was repealed. At the same time, there
| was shortage In the United States
OF certain kinds of wine which Greece
could supply. But Greece was not
/ welcomed as source OF the shipments
1 which could be made under our rules
OF the game only under quota fixed
by our government. There was some
direct word spoken here In Washing
ton to the minister of Greece 1t ap-
| pears that an understanding was
reached. Greece was placed on the
quota list for $4,000 gallons OF wine,
and Mr.. insult hereafter may not find
Greece such pleasant haven.
}Of course, do not profess to know
what went on In the private CONVEX
satIons that preceded the action by
the federal alcohol control admins
tration In placing Greece on the quota
list. But do know the conversations
were not all about the wine quota.
And have heard subsequently that
the American government expects
eventually to have Mr. insult return to
the United States 80 that his Ideas
about the fallen utility empire can be
heard.
An Incident at the treasury day
or two before Christmas distressed me
greatly. An elderly
Pathetic LADY, believe she
y.Jx said she was eighty
| four-called at the
window OF the treasury cashier to
get a $40 gold piece. She offered q
$40 bill In exchange for 1t. The pay
Ing teller was courteous, but positive
He could not deliver gold; 1t was
against the executive order issued last
| March by President Roosevelt. The
little old lady could not seem to un
derstand why 1t had to be that way
I