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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1914)
1 f3PT"WIWP The Commoner 'AUGUST, 1914 11 ww fwr"- as few commitments as possible until the inter state commerce commission has rendered its de cision on their application for increase in rates. An examination of the reports of the railroads as to maintenance of way, equipment, &c, during this period would undoubtedly verify these con clusions. It is to be hoped that tho rate decision will soon be made. Whether tho increase is granted or not, the railroads ought to know as quickly as possible the basis upon which to pro ceed. There has been a decided improvement in the steel business and its allied interests in the last few weeks. The United States Steel Corpora tion reports an increase in orders of 34,697 tons in June over May. I am confident that this im provement is going to continue; -there is every reason why it should. The crop movement al ready begun is demanding the employment of idle cars. On June 1 the number of idle cars in the country was 242,572. On July 1, one month later, 21,697 of these idle cars had been put into service. It should be borne in mind in this connection that 207,000 freight cars were actually built during the calendar year 1913. This largo addition to the rolling stock of the railroads may account, in part, for the 220,875 freight cars reported as being idle on the first day of July. Before the fall crop movement is ended these idle cars will be upon .the rails moving the crops from the farms to the markets and carrying commodities from sellers to buy ers. NEW TARIFF HAS NOT ADVERSELY AF FECTED AMERICAN INDUSTRIES Has tho lowering of tariff duties by tho pres ent administration been instrumental in any way in bringing about tho depression? Answer. No; I have been unable to discover liow the new tariff has adversely affected Amer ican interests, and T do not believe that any one can show it. Tt is perfectly clear, however, that the falling off in our exports for April and May, 1914, as compared with the same months of 1913, reflects the well known business depres sion in those foreign countries which are our best customers, and demonstrates the shortage of foodstuffs at home, which reduced our usual "TexportatIons of those articles. This shortage resulted from the poor crops of last year An analysis of our imports, which increased for April and May, 1914, over tho same months of 1913. shows that the great bulk of them comprise articles that do not compete with our manufacturers Many of them were on the fee list of the old tariff, such, for instance,. a$ coffee, cbtton, fertilizers, fibres hides and skins, India rubber, raw silk and bananas, all of which show large increases in the aggregate. Raw wool, which was previously dutiable,-was put on the free list by the present law, and a large part of the increased imports are represented by that item. Nevertheless the price of raw wool to the American producer has increased. TheRe importations show that our wool manu facturers must be busy turning out a larger quantity of finished goods. The duty on sugar was reduced and the importations of sugar were largely increased. Tt would bo tiresome in the extreme and would Involve a lengthy discussion to go into a complete analysis of the export and import figures for these months, or for tho past year, and to explain the causes affecting the movement of each Item Involved. I refrain, therefore, from attempting it. ENACTMENT OF RTGHT MEASURES PUTS AGITATION TO SLEEP Business interests generally, regardless of politics, seem to think that a cessation of legis lation hnving in view the regulation of railroad and industrial corporations would do much to bring about a return of confidence. Do you be lieve that legislation of this sort is responsible for tho present business situation, or that a postponement of proposed legislation would re store confidence? Answer No; legislation is not responsible for the present business situation, nor will a post ponement of propose'd legislation the anti trust laws, for instance restore confidence. The lack of such legislation impairs confidence. The passage, not postponement, of such legis lation will establish confidence. So long as the trust question remains in the political arena it will be a cause for discussion and agitation. Ag itation disturbs confidence. The way to effectively put out the fires of agitation is by applying cor rective remedies that square with intelligent public opinion. Then confidence will be secured, because the Issue will be rightly settled. The taTiff law and the currency law prove this. Thoro Is no disturbing thought now about the tariff. It is settled, and the manufacturers and business men may do business on a definite basis. The currency question is settled, and thoro is no moro uncertainty about our financial system. Confidence in our financial futuro is firmly established. It is no longer tho subject of do bate, and so it will bo with tho trust question. Enactment of tho right correctivo measures now will put agitation to sloop and givo business tho rest it craves and can reallzo only from wise statutes. THE INCOME TAX "Will tho income tax rato bo increased instead? Answer. I see no present reason for increas ing tho incomo tax. Has tho collection of tho incomo tax at (lie sourco been a success? Answer. Yes, moro so than expected. Is it truo that complaints of tho annoyances caused by tho present system of collection have been so general throughout tha country that 'tho government is considering some other method of making tho collections? Answer. There has been an apparent attempt upon the part of the partisan press to make it appear that there has been a groat amount of complaint about the collection of tho incomo tax at the source, and that thoro is general dissatis faction with this new form of taxation. This is not correct. I have mado it a point to secure informatipn upon this subject and the reports wo get from tho collectors of internal rovonuo throughout tho country show that thoro havo been remarkably few complaints and very little grumbling on tho part of those who pay tho tax. The experience of. the first year of tho income tax lurs proved that the legislation is successful. Most people recognize the justness of this form of taxation. The law went into operation twenty seven days after its passage, and throw upon tho treasury department an amount of work almost superhuman in its character. The time was so short within which to prepare regulations for the collection of the tax at the source, and the system was so new, that a good deal of con fusion and inconvenience resulted at first. During tho coming fiscal year an effort will bo made to simplify as much as possible the methods of collecting the tax. Tho department is anxious to do this, not only for tho comfort and convenience of those who have to pay it, but in order to make tho machinery for collect in e: the tax as efficient and economical as pos sible. NO "TINKERING" WITH THE TARIFF If-tho dwindling revenues of tho government continue, will tho tariff bill be amended or duties in certain schedules bo increased? Answer The revenues of the government are not dwindling; they are increasing. No amend ment of the tariff schedules will, therefore bo necessary. It is a' gratifying reflection that It will not be necessary to tinker with tho tariff and that our manufacturers now havo a definite basis upon which they may do business. Tho revenues of the government were greater for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1914, than for the fiscal year ended Juno 30, 1913. The treas ury is In splendid condition, with a not balance in the general fund of more than $150,000,000. NO BOND ISSUE LIKELY Is it the intention of tho treasury department to put out now issues of treasury notes and Panama bonds in tho near future? Answer. No, there is no present necessity, nor do I contemplate any In the near future, for the issuance of treasury notes or Panama canal bonds. There have been expended by the gov ernment out of current revenues On the Panama canal more than $240,000,000. Tho secretary has the right to reimburse tho treasury for these expenditures at any time he thinks advisable through the sale of Panama canal bonds, but, as I said before, no such necessity Is in sight. WE CAN FACE THE FUTURE WITH ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE Wliat do you think of tho outlook for tho futuro? Answer. I think It Is splendid, notwithstand ing the fact that the disaster doctors have been working overtime to make .he nation sick. They seem willing to wreck business and bring suffer ing upon the innocent In order to destroy the administration, simply because the administra tion is destroying privilege and re-establishing truo democratic government. But they haven't succeeded and they won't succeed. The general business situation is inherently sound and our financial position is exceptionally strong. The greatest wlntor wheat crop on rocord la already socured and tho secretary of agriculturo reports tho prospect for other crops unusually prom ising. Our economic situation is better and sounder today than any other nation on the globo. With such foundations, how cau pros perity bo avoided? When I read the hysterical stuff that appearn in tho opposition press, I can not help recalling Lord Nelson's famous moasago to tho pooplo of England when they wore In a state of fright over threatened foreign invasion, "This Is no time for norvous sys tems." Wo aro In no danger of a foroign in vasion of goods or anything else to our hurt, and cortalnly there Is no oxcuso at this time for "norvous systems." Wo can face tho future with absoluto confidence. Amorican farmers aro not likely to forgot the fact that it ni their presumptive frlond, the republican purty, that for years denied them tho opportunity to borrow money from national banks on tho umno terms of oqunllty with the trusts. They will also remember that it was the democratic party, now bolng painted by repub lican orators as tho enemy of agricultural de velopment, that amended tho law so that half a billion dollars will be availablo for farm loans as soon as tho now banking system is porfocted. Horoaftor national bunks may loan 25 per cent of tholr combined capital and surplus on farm lands. Which Illustrates tho dlfforenco between talk and deeds. Sonor Moheno, who was a member of the Huerta cabinet, has come to tho United States for tho purpose, as ho informs tho people, of tolling that what a grave mistake tho adminis tration mado in dealing with tho government as it did. Tho senor passed a number of marines on his way north. Wo wondor why ho didn't toll tho story to them. William Barnes, tho Now York republican boss who helped throw Roosevelt out of tho Chi cago convention, has sued T. R. for libel, claim ing $50,000 damages. It is not mado clear just what it was that Roosevelt said that caused this damage, but tho suit dispels a popular Idea that nothing that could bo said about a politician would hurt him. Tho attorney general of Kansas has rujed that women who register as voters are not required to give their ago if they affirm it to be within the legal limit. Look out now for tho para graph telling of tho great increase in the num ber of women offering themselves as voters, i The humorists just must live. Inhuman treatment of prisoners ought to b severely condemned. A lady anarchist set out in New York on a hunger strike because the authorities put her in prison for dlsobc.ing the law. On tho third day tho keeper offered her a piece of freshly-made huckleberry pie, and the hunger strike ended on tho instant. PKOFITLES8 PITY We sigh for the man who might have been groat If he only had tried in a sensiblo way; Wo witness his fall and wo pity his fate, Wo blamo tho foul chances that sent him astray; We think of the wonders he never has done, Wo dismally speak of- the taient he had, And grievously, solemnly thinking him one Whom fortune has cheated, wo murmur: "Too. bad!" Wo never waste sighs on the poor little man Who strives without talent, obscure and un schooled, Who daily is doing the best that he can. By worthiness urged and by decency ruled; Wo never have pity for him as we pass Where, lacking fair gifts, ho is trying to rise? His case never moves us to murmur, "Alas!" No matter how bravely h manfully tries. Ah, well, perhaps heaven, when heaven Is gained, Will furnish the gifts the unnoticed ones lack, And there the ambitious who havo not com plained May vin all their hopes and their eagerness back; But never in heaven, if heaven is fair, May the talented ones who have fatten is shame Partake of the glory the worthy may share Or find any joy in the pity they claim. Chicago Record-Herald, I t i 1 ,!