The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1940-01-05
A MAN FROM MISSOURI
BY J. E. Jones

By j. E. Jones
The interests of the small towns
are championed in a neat communi-
cation from r. w. Brown of the
Missouri Farm Bureau of Fedora
ton, and the letter is published Of
ficially by the Wage and Hour Ad-
ministration in Washington. After
expressing his sympathy with the
purpose of the Wage-Hour Law Mr.
Brown says that he has always
felt and still feels that a gradual
approach to a goal is less distrib-
ing, and therefore tends to greater
stability, than a sudden or arbitrary
approach" He goes on to express
the thought that the relocation OF
such industries as manufacture
shoes under a method of "compul-
sorry uniform wage rates in the
United States will tend in the direc-
ton of Capitalization" And "cen-
tralization" is not belief that the
Missouri man is converted to-
Whether that (centralization) will
make for stability or whether the
result will be an improvement in
social and economic conditions in
this country remains to be SEEM
he says in indicating that he is from
the ''show-me" land
The same thought has actuated
the opposition throughout the South,
where Governors of states have in
sisted that the Carolinas, Georgia
Mississippi, Louisiana, and other
states, have certain natural advan-
tages in the way of climate and
cheaper living that is their heritage
and which Capitalization" pro-
cess is likely to take away from
them.
Conserving The Country's Energy
When William Jennings Bryan
was running for President in 1896
he sowed the seeds of grand ideas
about Government ownership. Ac-
cording to the great Commoner the
Government should manage, control
and do a lot of things instead OF
leaving everything up to individuals
to look after.
However, we suspect that Mr.
Bryan was conservative, as compar-
ed to liberalism as it exists today.
Now, we have report of the Ma
tional Resources Committee which
recommends the conservation of the
country's energy resources and the
wise use of these resources. In the
past such measurers have included
the protection of public interests in
water power, lighting, public util.
tiles, and transportation. The coal
mining industry came along little
later and then there was agitation
in behalf of protecting natural gas
There is now a hysterical demand
in behalf of proposals to submerge
all individual efforts in the produc-
ton, use and management of pc
troleum.
If there has been any better-done
job the history of civilization than
that carried out under the Rockefel-
Ter family with reference to petrol.
cum, let some wise statesman, pro-
lessor or businessman name it. And
still there are men around admins
trative and legislative hall in Wash
ington that think they known all
about petroleum-presumably be-
cause they have used oil and gas in
their automobiles.
The Federal Natural Resources
Committee has made many valuable
recommendations and we have no
desire to minimize the importance
of any of them. Yet, there is history
to consult-current history to con-
slider. Does it not all point to the
fact that the oil interests are living
up to the laws, and obeying all the
rules and regulations of the Federal
Government and the states? Kansas,
Wyoming, Arkansas, New York,
Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma,
California, Louisiana, Pennsylvania
and other states have been able to
maintain their economic health
through regulating private enter
prises in the oil fields, and other ac-
tivities of their states. and the in
dications are that the old rule Of
letting private initiative alone is a
very good policy to follow.
-
Shaking The Old Apple Tree