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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1920)
SiTA wyzmfr' s' m -1 Bte.' '' ... - - ' 4, "DE0BMBER, 19&0 The Commoner WP" ;( IV II- i t r it i qeme Wise Recom--mendations . Tfegresjaent recommends independence for themplnd. He is right. The Filipinos have earnodrtheir right to independence; they should have ifr'Without delay. He recommends a loan to Armenia. It ought ' tobemado A mandate would involve us in tho jealousies and trad6 rivalries of the old world, but a loan. Is a legitimate way of extending ma terial aioVat a time when it is greatly needed. He alsourges the encouragement of coopera tive inarketing for""tbe benefit of the farmers. Good. - But his most important domestic recom mendation has to do with profiteering. He calls attention to -a need for a law "regulating cold storage Jn., such a way as to limit tho time 'dur- in which goods may be kept In storage, pre scribing the ..method of disposing pf them if kept beyoftd the permitted period; and rpquiring goods .released from stooge in all cases to bear the date of their receipt. It would also be most servlcable, if it were provided that all goods re leased from cold storage for interstate shipment should have plainly marked upon each package the selling, or market price, at which they went into; storage, in order that the purchaser might be able 'to learn what profits stood between him ancTtlie producer or the wholesale dealer. In-, deod, it- would be very serviceable to the public if all goods destined for interstate commerce were-made, to carry upon every package case whose; fOfm tiiade it possible a--plain statement of "thb'. price at which they left the hands of the. producer. I "respectfully call your attention, also, to 'the; recommendations of the message referred toith regard to a. federal license for all cor porations engaged, in interstate commerce.". tThis would have 'made an excellent campaign issiie.,' V ' - . ' W. J. BRYAN; j . i. a$" k, . . V mNOMY AD EFFICIENCY WJSIaimaii ' WoavJi i tr h( .rtommfiiided for. the-iabJlUy stnd persistency with whichVhe urges:v the reorganization of the administrative and exe-v ciitive department at Washington for the pur- -pose, of pitting them on a modem buslness'baais.,. The economy and efficiency commission that was at work in 19 li and' 1912 should have been con tinued until t could have reorganized all of the national executive and administrative .depart ments. The obsolete and inefficient systems found in force at that time in ilia departments that were examined were a revelation to the country "Xi?.ls the opinion of those who ca-familiar with modern, business methods that there Is, a great duplication of work, the most expensive methods an a great many inefficient employes that should havi beefr dispensed with years Ago. With the in come of the producers of the country being cut in -two on account of falling. prices and without a corresponding reduction in the taxes, the ef fects the same6n the producers as if he taxes had; teen doubled. Economy and efficiency should be?t;he watchword, and the reductions of gov ernmental expenses by cutting out obsolete sys tems and duplications arid4 -ho reduction of-the army of employees at Washington to a strictly modern businos t basis should b supported by congress regardless of party affiliation. If the world war has not been fought in vain, great re ductions should also be made in the construction arid; maintenance appropriations for the - army an$ ifavy departments. . SftjTfcOSSXBLE TO PJjEASB. everybody , :'No -matter what one does in PP1"'0 BtfDY will find fault. Some objected to -Mr. Brvaii's going Into the cabinet and some critl Shfforggoing out. Some got mad because he;help-ed to nominate and elect President Wil son, and now some are mad because- he suggests resiglation as a means of hasten ng iutertiohal pllbV Some even, complained, became .he said., ?SVd(iriHg the.campateh, Ih each. case he did, wftSt lie thought right,, , - -. -1 " AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN On the first page of thfs Ibbuo will be found an outlino of an educational and organization cam paign to rehabilitate the Democratic "party and make it an effective force to protect and promote the welfare of tho masses of the people. When the national, state and municipal legislative pro grams are announced, Mr. Bryan will discuss in each Isbuo of The Commoner during tho com ing year the various remedies offered in the-different legislative programs. The legislative pro gram will not bo partisan, and tho educational campaign will be a discussion of governmental principles that may be used in tho public schools, colleges and universities and in tho various clubs, such as the woman's clubs, commercial clubs and the many other clubg and associations whore the member aro studying governmental prob lems. Tho Commoner desires the cooperation of everyone who is interested in getting these leg islative programs and this educational matter into the hands of all organized grouns of society. We desire to receive the names of officers, and Jf possible, the members of as many organized clubs or societies as can be sent us. We also desire to hear from those who are willing to assist in placing this educational matter in tho editorial offices .of the newspapers and periodicals of the country, in the schools and colleges, and in all the clubs and societies that are organized for general educational purposes. Another Constitutiomi al Amendment 'i The suggestion that tha President uhould hasten peace by resigning 1ms led to a dlgou-.-' sion or the constitutional provision which de lays for FOUR MONTHS tho inaUKuratiot of the now president. -Moat parlimontary government provioo ror an IMMEDIATE chana. when an. administration loses the support of the -elector, m uur government Is an exception, explained by ilia V fact that our constitution was written bofora j' stoam cars and oloctrlclty came Into use. Why not an amendment fixing January 1st as Lhe day . iui uiuuBuruuun unu mo commencing ot tne ..., v...,uo., uiimvil BUVMiU UV IIIHUU Mill all the regular sessions to adiourn betoro the T3 next elections so that thero would not be (as4 : inure is now) a "joo sesflion" AFTEIl tho elec tion. Defeated congrossmon should not bo per mitted to serve (except in case of emergoncios) after defeat has made them Indiflforont to pub lic needs. If wc had such an amendment NOW peaco could bo had two months sooner and tho President could at an earllor day lay down the cares of office and give attention to hlu Impaired health. W. J. BItYAN. IF NOT NOW, WHEN? The following dispatch from Geneva uleserves .attention. "In the report of Saturday's proceedings at Geneva this appeared: . :s5i 11 'An international military force, with -an? international staff, was proposed to" the assem- . bly by Senator Henri-La Fontaine of the Bel- ; gla:i. delegation. Senator La Fontaine had somewhat startled the assembly by declaring that the world was not yet ready for disarma ment. 'It is necessary to say frankly to the poo- . pie,' he said, 'that the time for disarmament has not yet come.' Before tho world coijld disarm, ho-added, entirely different idea& from those that prevailed before the war must be inculcated and applied.' " . This is the view of the inyperiaUstic nations of Europe, They seem io have learned nothing; they, still rely upon force and scout at the Idea of peace baseci upon friendship. Our nation can have no part in the European proerram so long as it contemplates a PEACE BASED ON 1ERB-ORISM. We should lot tho other nations know at once that we can no longer be faced by the exploded doctrine that "preparedness promotes peace." Brother or Brute, which is It to be? if the world is not now really for a peaco based on. friendship and cooperation, when will it be? ' Our nation can afford to give 10 billions for PEAtJE WITH DISARMAMENT. If we can't ' have that the war has beenfought in vain. ,' dviOUT MEMORIES;. I '' :;ii-Brian liaS'a'ona more for President Wil- . I?-- HOUSTON IS TAItOET FOH OTERN RKBUICi: A Washington dlsna(ch, dated D6c. 9. savs: Secretary Houston's recommendations yesterday M in h.s annua' report that excoas profits taxes he repealed and tho higher brackets of Income sur taxes be reduced were attacked today by Repre sentative Kitchen of North Carolina, ranking A Democratic member of tho house ways and j moans committeo, as "tho most unwlso, unjust, S undemocratic and pro-republican rccommcniJa- M y tlon that over emanated from any dopartmout oI"-j tho government since Its beginning." "Tho whnlfi infant ntul nrfliv nt Uitt rnnm. y. .1.11 H . ,.1 Ti. 41 4. If ' mcnuuiiuuH, uiu mr. jtviicuun b Hiuiomuiu,' rf ., n to relievo the corporate Interests and million' aires, who for the last years have plundered and profiteered upon the people to the extent of fifty billions of dollars, of a billion and a half or two billions o dollars to taxes annually and place that amount upon tho backs of the people; that Is, the victimr of such plunderers and prof iteers. If tho Democratic party in congress Were to adopt the suggestions of Secretary Houston's report, it would be no use to hold future Demo cratic conventions, for no Democratic candidate hereafter would get anything like as many votes as Governor Cox did in the last election, and the Lord knows he got fow enough. "I predict that Jn tho next congress, that in behalf of many Republican measures with gre spect to taxation, the Republicans will cite Secre tary Houston, as well as the president, as author ity for their position." PROFITEERING IN BREAD The Federal Trade commission finds profiteer- ' ing among the millers. Note the following: "Washington, D. 0., Nov. 21Profits of wheat-flour millers in the northwest for the last five years have averaged 24.4' per cent on their average investment, according to the federal trade commission, The inquiry was begun in connection with the general food investigation. "In 1916-17 the profit amounted to 44.7 per cent, according to the report. The average an nual earnings for. the flvtf year period for. the southwestern millers was 23.5 per cent,, but those of the eastern group amounted to only 15.S per cent. , - "The profit of thirty-seven companies covered bv the report was over twice as large in the last two years as in the first three. In 1J16-17 thero was returned on the investment 38.4 per cent more than three times as large as 1913 141 The eastern group earnings in 1915-16 were only 6.5 per cent, but jumped to 30.8 per cent in 191,7-18." Ami vet Wall Street clamors for the repeal of the tax on excess profits. Let those pronteers AlwVUl- . fc A v Members of congress who were defeated at the election in November will bo engaged In" the stupendous task of helping operate the govern ment until- the 4th of March, four months later An administrat on that was rapudiated at the polls at the same time will be In charge of af fairs for tho same poriod.Jt is easy to gee along what lines tho next great movement for constis tntional reform will take. " . u .- .i i xl i...ot nnllnrttAfl ? keSJ.SSJ SSSirbS-ae lust to be re-' to the public at large. exceaa jiruuMi -. rrr :----v- . , . wisdom of his course. If there are still any authors looking up ma terial for books on "Why Boys Leave the Farms" they won't have very far to -go to securd all the corroborative information they desire, with wheat that cost $2.50 a bushel to rates selling at less then $1.50 on tho farm. " " ', JUDGE LAJtfHS ALL RIGHT . Some criticism has been directed against Judge Landis because he has accepted a poslf tion with the baseball clubo while continring his position on the bench. , Why? He is one ' of the most fearless judges on the bench; his resignation would be a calamity. He has been serving at a pecuniary loss; he finds an op portunity to act as advisor of those financially Interested In the great national game baseball. He can raise the standard of the game without neglect of his duties as judge. He solved the problem presented to him and he slved it Jo a manner benenciai to airaseu, iu mc tuui u Time wjii vindicate me W. J. BRYAN. ',. j"a Jis L. tjfl ! A m pealed. . ?yyw, i, "V'.S'V? y.' ? i i.