The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1938-04-21

=
have been much more efficient and
far cheaper but 1t looks as though
the President is determined to fol-
low the old path.
was happy to lend my support
to a bill which, If properly admin
istered, will be Of great help in re-
facilitating the small business man
and industrialist, as it would enable
them to refinance on sound and
longtime basis.
To many Of us 1t looks as though
the present policy>is going to make
relief a permanent problem. In my
opinion 1t is all wrong. It operates
On the assumption that our people
would rather be on relief than work
and we all know that such Is not a
fact. However, it will all be thresh-
ed out in Congress within the next
week or two.
What we should do is to repeal
the reciprocal trade law, which is
robbing SO many CT their jobs, and
rewrite all trade agreements made
Hereunder. Then, put UP the bars
against foreign importations OF
competitive products to a point
where the American producer will
at least have an equal chance with
the foreigner for the home market.
AS have repeatedly said in these
letters, If we would do that there
is no question but what we could
put some five to seven million peo-
pie back to work within six months.
To me the biggest problem Is un-
employment.
How many Of my readers are
aware that imports of competitive
agricultural products in 1887 dis
placed 80 million acres of land?
Save the automobile, farm machin-
cry, and office equipment industries,
there is hardly a business in the
land that is not being adversely al
fected and seriously so, by these
enormous imports made possible
under existing trade agreements
For the first time in many years
the tariff has become the outstand-
ing issue and all because these who
are out Of work and want jobs,
those who are only working part
time, and those who have had to
take a heavy cut in wages, are go
ing to vote for a sound tariff sys-
tenn this fall.
Philippine Independence
Some four years ago Congress
passed a bill to grant the Filipinos
their independence in 1916. For
years the Islanders had cried to the
high heavens for independence but
it seems that they have changed
their mind for now they tell us that
they do not want to be set free but
wish to he given a dominion stat
us, such as Canada bears to Great
Britain.
There are two reasons for this.
One is that they want to hang on
to the American market for their
vegetable oils and other products
which come into competition with
our farmers. Then, too, they are
afraid that Japan will gobble them
up once they are set free. No doubt
they, and the American sugar in
terests in the Islands, will put on
spectacular and expensive cam
paign to convince the American
people that we cannot afford to let
them go. If we rescind the action
that we took four years ago we
should have our heads examined.
The Islands have been nothing but
big bill Of expense to us from the
time we took them over soon after
the Spanish-American war and
from now on they will constitute a
standing menace to our peace in the
Orient.
Public Debt Huge
The debt of the Federal, State,
and local governments Is approprox-
imately $57 900 100000 - more than
enough to pay for all the 100000
United States farms and their
buildings, livestock and machinery,
according to a recent survey.
We should not become discourage
ed in reading the above figures be-
cause we have quite a lot Of con-
veniences to offset the debt. For
instance, we have 100000 auto
mobiles, or 70 per cent of the
worlds total. We also possess half
of the worlds telephones and more
radios than the rest of the world
combined.
Meet With Reciprocity Committee
On last Friday morning group
of about Is Members of Congress
appeared before the Reciprocity
Committee, which is made up of
representatives of the Departments
of State Conmerce Agriculture