Evening Star Newspaper, September 16, 1923, Page 41

Part 2—20 Pages PROSPERITY WAVE GROWS, | EVEN FARMER BENEFITED Government Surveys and Those of Busi- ness Bodies Show Every Line of Industry Feels Boom Period. BY WILL P. KENVEDY. Prosperity is here—and growing. This isn't just political propagand or psychology. It is an actual fac recognized by such agencies as the Chamber of Commerce of the United States—which speaks for organized business—the federal Department of 23,162,000, as against 27,854,000 last *ar and 29,914,000 in 1920, which as the best previous record except 1e war peak of 1918—381,111,000. Business Increases. The railroads have been doing better and better as the year went on. Prior to 1923 the railroads loaded a million Commerce and Agriculture and the Bureau of Railway Economics, the records of all of which #eflect pros- perity * hand and indications that it will coatinue, and that times will be even better. This means agricultural, railway, manufacturing, commercial and gen- eral prosperity, both are now here and coming strong The basic industr and much of busine: udying future prospects, f&ures from prices which the agricultural crops are bringing. Then they figure on what the Toads are doing. Much has been a ruino low price of wheat” will drive thousands of farmer: Tupt. The public b With th's wall. It out that at T 6 per cent of the + The United Stat cars a week seven times in all their history Five of those weeks were in the fall of 1920 and two in the fall of 1922, Thus far this year they have had eleven million-car weeks, Wwith the heaviest traffic of the fall months still ahead of them. Prior to 1923 the largest number of cars ever load- ed in one week was 1,018,539, for the week of October 13, 1920. This year they have already exceeded that peak so and the average for the whole month of August was 1,041,000, / which was more for each week than rall-) for any previous week in their his- jtory. Tke last week in August, the “the [lasf on record, the car loadings totaled Wwhich {1,093,000. They have had a million- week every K since June, ex- been feited {cept for the week of the July 4 holi- has been pointed {day and of the late Président Hard- pr nts but 5 OFying's funeral ‘o that the railroads ricultural total. Ihave been consistently loading more Department of | than a million cars a week Agriculture points out that three| There is a helpful thought in why Years ago this fall the price of {the rallroads have been able to handle cotton plunged to bankruptey depths. | this unprecedented business and at Two years ago corn followed sult.ithe same time have 75,000 idle cars Last year it was potatoes. Now it|on the tracks, something that never is wheat. Let’s study Department of | happened before. (1) They had good Agriculture statistics prices re-!\eatte : , there was peace in the ceived for prod- | railroad i and generally with uets. he re-{no s lubor troubles; (3), the celved nd July |y ads kept thelr equipment in bet- this h me about 15 ok e cars than (1) they got spiendid 1 ¥. 1921 foperation from the shippe er bushel and { Departme ommer 1 regards ! stanc pport. In other words, | r is not as bad off | the ra their share in im- when, in 1913, he { provement and handling their equip- per bushel. ment; labor did its share In avolding troub nd the people did their share in co-operation. So there has been a has|Teal “era of good feeling” the last .3 | few months, which hav s agriculture, bank- o w by farmers these 1921 ev recety this vear, Wheat the as beforo t a4 689 ce 1 fars tting Better Prices. All along the line the better prices: jumped from 29 cents far; o ter in 1921 to 3 er EDITORIAL SECTION Society News | @hfi gunfiay %mf. WASHINGTON, D. C. BY N, 0. MESSENGER. RESIDENT COOLIDGE'S policy of not making speeches or public addresses is proving to-be somewhat disappoint- ing to certain political and factional interests. Take the democratic national com- mittee, for instance. It is in a fine stew be- cause the President is not saying anything that it can lay hold of and come back at him. The committec does not know his attitude on several important questions and policies beyond his simple iteration that he would carry on with the Harding administration’s Yolicies. “Oh, that mine enemy would write a book,” saith the psalmist, which appeals to the democratic managers. “You said it,” they echo lugubriously, wishing that the President would open up and speechify some. “He has us stalled,” is the expression ap- plicable to hig silence. It is pretty hard to lambaste a fellow without a cause to do so. * % ¥ k Likewise is his abstention from discourse embarrassing to other potential candidates for the nomination. They haven’t a leg to stand on when it comes to starting out to contest the nomination. All they could say now would be that they wanted the plum themselves, and would not be able to show cause why it should be awarded them. Pres- ident Coolidge has not given a single open- ing for any one to essay breaking in. Senator Hiram Johnson has no excuse for getting into the ring, since the President has not said or done anything, or refrained from doing the necessary thing, which would give him a handle for contesting. Samc with Gov. Lowden, only more so, since Gov. Lowden is regarded as friendly with the present admin- ¢ President Coolidge had them said a politician. * ok %k X Another thing; there are cvidences that the people are observing and approving this silent, industrious man in the White House, who foregoes all opportunities to get before the public. Indeed, at that, he might be held )" also, ple. It would be only “human nature.” Here he is suddenly elevated into the presidency by fate, and immediately becomes the most conspicuous figure in the land, with people desirous of knowing about him and learning what he proposes to do. But he says that the public will know what he proposes and what are his policies when Congress meets. It is his conception of cthics and the proprieties that since Con- gress will be called upon to legislate on his suggested policies, it is only right and meet that Congress should have the first intima- tion of them. Meantime he is going right along, saying little, but “sawing wood” on his presidential job. * ok ok % There was a coincidental gathering of several “higher-ups” in the democratic lead- ‘ership at the New Willard a few evenings ago. It was not at all premeditated. They just “met up with each other,” as they say out in Pike county, Missouri. One was in town on departmental business, another was en route east to bring his family home from vacation, another was stopping at the hotel and another was invited in when the party got together. It is not permitted to give their names, because they had no official rank or status. They gabbled about the dem- ocratic presidential candidatorial possibil ties. One of the very potential ones brought up the subject of Mr. McAdoo's candidacy, to which he is not supposed to be at all committed, and he made this observation to the others: “You cann t heat somebody with nobody. and at present Mr. McAdoo is very much of a somebody. He is going to get away with that nomination unless ‘the field’ unites on some one and begins a campaign.” * ok ok ok The upshot of it was the name of Oscar Underwood was brought forward as likely to be the man who will shoulder the brunt of the fight against Mr. McAdoo. It is realized that if there is too much of the scat- tering of strength for favorite sons, while SUNDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 16, 1923. President Coolidge’s Silence Worries Democrats and Unfriendly Republicans own hand, he will go into the convention with enough delegates on the first ballet, while the favorite sons are splitting the other delegations up, to present a showing of strength which might impress the oppor- tunists, who are always hovering in the offing looking for the prospective winner. * % 3k ¥ One statement came out of this casual conference which is contrary to widely pre- vailing opinion. It was that Senator Ralston of Indiana is causing embarrassment to his supporters by a spirit of diffidence which has come over him. He is described as “be- Jng backward about coming forward” for the nomination. It is said they cannot get him to come out and declare himself. Such an attitude, of course, would prove another arrow in Mr. McAdoo’s belt. His backers must be highly gratified to hear of these shy violets who want the office to seck them. The aforesaid backers, meanwhile, being of the hard-boiled variety of poli- ticians, are plowing and seeding and culti- vating in anticipation of a harvest of dele- gates pledged to McAdoo first, last and all the time. * % k % The latest suggestion of a convention city for the democrats is Louisville, Ky. It has been made in high democratic quarters. It may or may not be significant that Oscar Underwood was born in Louisville and that Senator Ralston was born in southern In- diana, just across the Ohio river. Republ can odds are still in favor of Chicago. It is said Fred Upham has enough pledges from national committeemen to give him a safe majority when the committee meets in De- cember to make the selection. * ok ok K “What does President Coolidge intend to say about the world court in his message to Congress?” lots of people are asking. There are conflicting stories about it, voiced with more or less assumed authorita- tiveness. But here is the queer thing about it: A number of members of his cabinet do not know what his actual attitude will be. Is the President playing favorites and “hold- ing out” on his cabinet or is there a mind- EDITORIAL PAGE NATIONAL PROBLEMS SPECIAL ARTICLES S. COAL COMMISSION HAS JUSTIFIED CAREER Completes One of Most Valuable Pieces of Work Ever Attempted by Government Agency. IU' BY G. GOULD LINCOLN. HE United States Coal Comm sion, created by act of Co ETess a year ago, goes out ¢ existence next Saturday after thorough and valuable pieces of work ever done by a government agency. having completed one of the most | ccess to bring the operators and ners into further conference after e negotiations had ended at Atlan- fc City. It advised the President in connection with the plans prepared to meet a suspension of the anthraecite industry. These plans contemplated providing the people with bituminous Under the terms of the act creating the commission It was instructed to report its findings to the President and to Congress. Its report on an- thracite is already made to the Presi- dent and much of the report on bitu- minous has been submitted also. It remains for the Chief Executive and Congress to translate into legislation the recommendations submitted. coal, coke and other substitutes for anthracite. They constituted a threat to both the operators and miners of anthracite, with the danger of lost markets, both temporar: nent. There scems little that they had a potent bringing the two parties fo a final agreement in the conferences with Gov. Pinchot in Harrisburg. The data obtained by the Coal Com- mission with regard to costs of pro- duction, to the wages paid, to the margits of profit of produce wholesalers and retailerf are to be used in the coming months to pre- vent yprofiteering by cons celess operators and dealers. Every com- munity which uses ant te will have the information at hand and thus ehould be enabled the better to protect {itself against profiteers who make seck to take advantage of the wage Increase of 10 per cent al- and perma- doubt but influence in President Coolidge has announced that ho will commend to Congress the suggestions of the commlission. Under the threat of natfon-wide strikes, and under strike conditions themselves, efforts have been made for several years to obtain legisla- tion which will help to assure the people a steady supply of fuel. Now that the fact-finding commission has made its report, it is expected that at the coming session some legisla- | tion will be enacted. Senaor Borah, chairman of the senate committec on lowed the miners. It has been estimated that the wage increase will add to the cost of production of 60 to 75 cents a ton. It is believed that a large part of this increase could well be absorbed by the producers and the dealers. Cer- tainly there should be no greater in- crease in price per ton to the consumer than that added by the increased cost of production. education and labor, has been giving careful study to the coal problem and the suggestions of the commission during the recess of Congress, and it is expected meetings of his committee will be held soon after the session opens and an effort made to put through a constructive program. Body Appointed Year Ago. The Coal Commission was provided for by an act approved September 22 a year ago. The members of the com- mission were appointed by the late President Harding October 11, and or- ganized October 18 with John Hays Hammond as chairman. The commis- sion got down to work promptly and has been devoting {ts whole time since to a study of what has been re- garded as one of the most complex industrial problems that ever con- fronted the country. The Congress Advocates Wage Revision. One of the recommendations of Coal Commission is for a thorougl vision of the v that there w mines and for like work is declared t hodge pod: reclassifica . employes of the f men ralaries paid the teral governme ent of t cents; wool per pound 0 3 lambs pe pound 10.6, examp these v the e as ~based on the ent, while vrice of non-agricultur imodities allen off relatively from 170 to which that agriculture «nd industry and commerce are grad- into more nearly hinp, and this is the ution of the entire ry Wallace em- from 15.5 cents 100- fro 3 » as rehas ris shows evidence farm t that with corn of more th 5 farmer turmers in to the Depart- wed that on ents ment of Agri an average In cost 66 per bushel to produce corn. They are now recelving §7.4 cents. Wallaee Conservative. While the Department of Agricul- ture has been very conscrvative in making any rosperity” statements, presumably fearful of the effect it might have on the radical farm group in Congress, the department has stated: Wheat “does not dominate the agricultural situation as a whole. In general conditions over the coun- try are apparently somewhat better this season than last. The east, south and the corn belt, the range country, and the Pacific coast all show improvement, rather than otherwise— both in position as to debts and out- look for fall income. * * * In the main this is a pretty good crop yea: Now &s to the railroads—they not only show that business generally is good, but they are doing their big bit of speed prosperity. While pre- viously, at times, when there was plenty of business, the railroads were not able to handle it,'and so dammed up the tide of business prosperity this is not the case now. There is a Very ‘unusual absence of complaint against the railroads, even in the face of unprecedented freight traffic. Rallroads Below Normal. While the raflroads are not earning, just yet, the 6% per cent fair re- turn, for the first seven months, up to August 1, they did earn very close to it, 5.51 per cent, on the valuation fixed by the Interstate Commerce Commission. The American rallways have already broken all traffic records so with August, September and Octo- ber the three best months in the year, they may reasonably, be expected to | petter financially the rest of this year. Conservatively put, the most im- portant factor for the rallroads is stability. Even if the rallroads did not make their “fair return” of 5% per cent, and yet were able to make some- thing like 5.51 regularly and know they could reasonably expect a fair level of earnings it wauld very largely re- move the fear that the railroad man- ‘agers have been carrying In their hearts for the last few years. The way in which the railroads have heen breaking service records shows that business generally has been un- usually good. Railroad traffic is the best barometer of industrial activity. The railcoads can't make this busi- ness, they handle what is brought to them, During the first eight months of 1923 to September 1 the railroads in this country have loaded more cars than were ever before loaded in the #ame period of time. The figures arc the | {the arrival of general busin { pe: 1¢1 vestigators and is nation-wide, cov- | | ering all phases of domestic business, including textiles, metals, fuels, au- tomobiles, construction, tfansporta- ment, retall trade, adver- tising, postal receipts and financial activities, comparing figures for the first seven months of 1923 with the | corresponding period in 1922, as fol- Plows: i Concumption in I pounds, of wool by from valent textile ,052,000 the o $99,212,000 of 10.6 per ler receipts of gain in spite mestie _Fotton consumption in textile mills increased from .861 bales in the 1 period to 4,002,506 bales in 1923, @ gain of 16.9 per cent. The output of knit underwear in- creased 7 per cent over the 1922 period and unfilled orders for the product at the end of July, 1923, were | 50 per cent greater than a year ngo. Indicated consumption of raw silk jthrough withdrawals from ware- {houses increased 14.8 per cent over |the first seven months of 1922. 1 Plg Iron Production Up. | Tig iron production, with an output {of 23,505,000 tons in the first seven |months of 1923, has exceeded last | vear's period by 62.6 per cent, while teel ingot production has increased ‘from 18,980,000 to 26,729,000 tons, or 40.8 per cent. | Unfilled orders of the Steel Corpor- |ation at the end of July totaled 5,- {911,000, as against 5,776,000 a year jago. Bookings of commercial steel | castings for seven months increased 52.2 per cent, and fabricated struc- tural steel bookings were 3.8 per {cent higher than a year ago. In the 1Independent sheet mills production of jsheets increased 44.3 per cent. | Shipments of locomotives from anufacturers increased from 490 to {1,644, a gain of 235.5 per cent, and junfilled orders at the end of the iperiod were over twice as large as a jyear ago. | Coal production is not a fair com- | parison with last year on account of the miners' strike, but crude pe- | troleum output has gained 28.4 per jcent over the corresponding period last year, with a total output of 402,- 845,000 barrels in the seven months of 11923, The output of petroleum prod- ‘ucts has also increased, gasoline 1gaining 28 per cent, kerosene 5.9 per cent, gas and fuel of] 12.7 per cent land lubricating oil 18.4 per cent. | Auto Output Higher. The output of automobiles, has in- creased 68 per cent over the seven months of 1922, with 2,126,895 pas- senger cars and 227,100 trucks made this year from Jaruary through July. Consumption of rubber by tire man- ufacturers increased 40.5 per cent. Building construction has exceeded {the seven months' period of 1922 by {48 per cent, based on contracts awarded in the twenty-seven north- eastern states. Lumber production for all reported species except North Carolina pine was considerably larger than in the 1922 period. Face brick output was 10.2 per cent larger than last year, cement was 28.2 per cent larger and all classes of enamel ware showed large increases, Panama canal traffic has been the largest in its history this year, and traffic through both the Sault Ste. Marie canal and the Erie canal has been much larger than last year, in spite of a later opening. Factory employment in the United (Continued on Third Page.) justifiable in introducing himself BY HARDEN COLFAX. | A new hand grips the brake on !business enterprise throughout tHe nation, the hand of the local tax j collector. | No longer does the federal gov- |ernment claim the lion's share of the |taxpayer's money. The state, the |county and the city have increased their claims for governmental cost, according to census bureau returns recently gathered and now being made public, to an appalling extent within the past five or six years, and business men throughout the | country, one hears here, are alarmed at the trend and are preparing ac- tively to curb it. The census bureau recently ob- tained returns from all the states and from several thousand villages, towns and cities showing comparative governmental costs of 1922, 1917 and 1914. As fast as these returns are tabulated they are released for pub- lication. Thus far the bureau has made public figures covering the cost of maintaing nine state governments and about 100 city governments. Local Costs Mount. According to the bureau's figures, the cost of maintaing tho nine state governments in 1922 was 336 per cent of the cost in 1914. Within the period of five years, or from 1917 to 1922, the cost of government in these states rose 165 per cent, amount- ing to more than two and one-half times as much at the end of that { period as it did at the beginning. The bureau's figures cover the state governments—exclusive of the cities, {towns and villaggs—ot Delaware, Ne- braska, West /Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan, Wyo- ming and Rhode Island. The 1914 cost of government in those jurls- dictlons was slightly in excess of $78,000,000. By 1917 the cost had risen to $69,000,000. In 1922 it was $262,400,000. 7 In no single state was there a de- crease. The smallest rate of increase between 1917 and 1922, in Kentucky, {was almost S0 per cent. The largest {increase was shown in Michigan, or from $24,700,000 in 1917 to $92,600,- 1000 in 1922. This is at the rate of about 300 per cent increase. The percentage -was exceeded in the smaller state of Delaware, where costs increased from $1,385,000 in 1917 to $5,683,000 in 1922, or ‘at the rate of about 320 per cent. ' The cost ‘of government in Ne- braska more than doubled. In West Virginia it more than trebled within the five-year period. In New Jersey {it rose from $21,000,000 to upward of $55,000,000 annually. In Tilinols, the increase was from $35,400, 000 to $52,100,000. In Wyoming it jumped from less than $2,000,000 to almost $5,000,000, and in conservative Rhode Island it shot up from $4,278,~ 000 to $7,343,000, City Expenses Doubled. The states appear to be running into higher proportionate costs than the cities. In New York city the increase within the five-year period was about 65 per cent, or from $238,~ to the peo- 000,000 to $389.000,000. In thuty other cities the total cost of govern- ment increased 95 per cent, or vir- tually doubled. within five years. These cities Include San Francisco, Providence, R. L; Jersey City, Bir- mingham, Albany, Portland, Me.; Ok- lahoma City, Charleston, S. C.; Nor- | folk, Harrisburg, Louisville, Berkeley, Cali; Knoxville, Trenton, Flint, Pueblo, Springfield, Ill.; Springfield, Mo.; Roanoke, Va.; Johnstown, Pa.; Lansing, Mich.; Lexington, Ky.; New- port, R. I, and several smaller com- munities, all of which, however, ex- ceeded 30,000 in population. Total governmental costs for these thirty cities in 1917 were $87,000,000. In 1922 they lacked a few thousands of $170,000,000. Statisticians here estimate, in the light of these returns, that the cost of governing the people of the United States has increased from $8,500,- 000,000 in 1921 to about $10,000,000,000 a year at the present time, notwith- standing the decrease of about one- third in the cost of maintaining the fedcral government. The increase is attributed to the rapidly rising costs of local government. Must Pay One-Sixth. It is estimated that one-sixth of the income of all the workers in the country—if taxes were averaged—is taken by the hand of the government. If the present rate of increase con- tinues the amount demanded by gov- ernment will be one-fifth instead of one-sixth within from two to three years. 'Trade associations and other busi- ness organizations in Washington are taking a lively interest in the census disclosures. Leading the movement looking to a curb on local costs of government is the National Associa- tion of Manufacturers, with branches in about forty states. That organiza- tion recently adopted resolutions commending the federal government's' reductidn in cost effected by the oper- ation of the budget and urging “upon our extravagant states and munici- palities a practical imitation of the federal system.” As the census bureau makes public {its returns the association places them before the manufacturers in the states and cities affected, with the suggestion that the figures be studied and appropriate action be taken. “We believe,” said Nathan B. Wil- liams of counsel for the association, | “that the high rates of local taxa- tion are hurting business; that we spend far too much for local govern- ment and that the time has come to 11 a hait and get back to a reason- able basis.” Japan’s Strange Tree. A most peculiar tree is the five-fin- gered orange which grows in Japan. This dwarf tree, which seldom reaches a greater height than five feet, grows its fruit in the shape of a human hand complete with fingers Mr. McAdoo goes steadily on playing for his 'STATE AND CITY TAX RATE I APPALLING TO INQUIRERS Cast of Local Government Has Increased|Settlements of Moment May Not Last. Alarmingly in Last Few Years, National Survey Reveals. Franco-Italian ries England. BY OLIVER OWEN KUHN. LOUDS of war in the Balkans are drifting away over the horizon. Whether they will be forced back again by treacherous currents to obscure the sun of peace and progress Is a qu tion that now is uppermost in the minds of European chancellories. For the moment, at least, there 1s a feeling that the various crisee of the past few weeks have disappeared. The Balkan countries are victims of ingrained jealousies and national prejudices. Political trends are as stable as houses bullded upon sands. The larger powers know not at what moment local conditions, local crises, may instantly fan antipathies into bloody conflict. For this reason any so-called settlements of the moment, in so far as the Balkans are concern- ed, are looked upon with skepticism. First they must undergo the acld test of time before they are believed to be established fact. France and England Uneasy. It is not strange that while Eng- land, and notably France, express pleasure that the tense situation has abated a bit through the private agreement of Jugoslavia and Italy to peaceably adjust the question of supervision over the harbors of Fiume and Susak, they nevertheless continue on the uneasy seat. Any untoward step, any hasty actlon, any too perfervid statement of national- istic feeling by responsible officals, might serve as 2 match to touch off the political tinder and engulf the| whole of southeastern Europe, if not the rest of it, in a struggle which, from military, economic and soclal standpoints, would be sulcldal to the oft-expressed hope of all na- tions to adjust their affairs in line with future progress and advance. The so-called danger hour between Italy and Jugoslavia has passed. reader in our midst? STABILITY OF BALKANS HOLDS TINDER OF WAR Situation Wor- tion designed to counter the Italian purpose, and had public sentiment in both countries been further inflamed, there {s little question but that a struggle of far-reaching proportions would have come. The Fiume ques- tion has too long existed for peace of mind of either Jugoslavia or Italy, and public sentiment in elther coun- try is such as to sharply assail any existing government not protecting national interest to the fullest. With cool heads in Belgrade and as cool ones in Rome, however, a settlement can be reached, and undoubtedly will be, when the hideous results of any show of force on the part of either country are fully realized. The position of Premler Poincare has been pronouncedly prominent in easing the sitaution in the Balkans. | This is certain. Whether or not| Premier Polncare intentionally has begun a systematic attempt to wean | Italy away from England, gaining {her support on the question of the Rubr, is not known, but he is most certainly by indircetion capitalizing the feeling In Italy against England because of the Corfu fincident. Through all the nogotiations that have so far transpired is seen the hand of Qual d'Qrsay in Paris. Polncare Steps In, According to advices which have reached Washington, Serbia was ready and physically able to battle for Fiume and Susak in case Italians initiated untoward moves. But Premler Poincare's influence in Belgrade came into play. Jugo- slavia and France are so close to- |gether that local politicians in Bel- grade desiring to break the chains of larger power domination, have stated that Belgrade's courses are France's, At any rate France was instrumental in forming the little entente, the policies of which she is in a position to mold. Being under obligations to France, with Italy’s “ultimatum” was to have ex- | Parls pledges of guarantees for her pired yesterday with fulfillment of Mussolini's pledge “of suitable ac- tion,” did not Beigrade listen to Rome's behest. Both Rome and Belgrade now deny that there ever was an “ultimatum.” It is just as well. Attempt by Italy to enforce it at this juncture would have been a serious breach in the eyes of other European nations, and surely would have been resisted by Belgrade. The announcement of the Serbs that they never had officially interpreted the Mussolini request for an early settlement of vexatious Adriatic problems not settled by the treaty of Rapallo as a deflance to Jugoslavia 1s a remarkable step for- ward. It indicates that after heads grew cool common sense once more came to rule, and both powers now will endeavor to bring about all solu- tions of the future of Fiume and Susak to the best interests of all. Had deflance continued with the marshaling of troops on the Italian- Serbian frontier on the Istrian penin- suala, had Italy dispatched further forces and her fleets to the region of Fiume, with subsequent Serbian ac- new found liberties, and forseeing even more assistance, Jugoslavia can scarcely fly in the face of any request made from Qual d'Orsay. It is surmised that when Premier Pachnich of Serbia appeared before Premler Poincare in Paris, at the very height of the present trouble, the French premler cited France's pledg- es to Serbia and incidentally men- tioned the fact that Serbia’s present excellent military position is entirely due to the French. Likewise he may have stated that were the issue not settled in accordance.with the wishes of France, Serbla could not expect French government or bank- ers to extend the large loan, for which Belgrade has petitigned. This in the final analysls is the real test. It is significant that when Premier Pachnich returned to Belgrade dur- ing the early part of the week, he announced to King Alexander that there is every assurance that the Serbian government will receive a loan of 300,000,000 francs. It like- ‘wise is significant that two days sub- sequent < to . this. announcement Belgrade should initiate tenders of moderate character in answer to Mus- originally appropriated $200,000 for the use of the commission, and later added $400,000, making a total of $600,000 available. The commission was created under the spur of the strike of 1922. The word went forth that the people would not submit again, if they could| possibly avold it, to the conditions which caused so much suffering and discomfort in the fall and winter of 1922-23. The commission was instruct- ed to have its report on the anthra- cite Industry completed in time to be of service in the framing of a new agreement between the miners and operators of the hard coal field, the old agreement expiring August 31, 1923. This the commission did, and the data obtained made use of. The agreement in the bituminous| field does not expire until April of | finally forced the cnact classification 1 vision a T industry is emphasi mission. One of the been leveled ut reached b the milners tors in Harrisburg is the 10 per cent horizontal wage increase, very much as the government employes were given the $240 bonus as a temporary measure of relief. For some, it is sald the 10 per cent increase is too much, and for others, those requiring ald the most, the increase s mot adequate. The Coal Commission has gome on record as being strongly opposed to the nationa of the coal mines, It belleves t se would be a m i be costly gone on for in the c v the coal co ed criticisms which has ment and opera next year. The data collected with|compulsor reference to the soft coal industry is| that arlse now in hand and will be available for use by the operators and miners in reaching a new basls of operation next year. The Coal Commtssion has played, in fact, more than the part of a mere fact-finding commission. It has been cent anthracite crisis. It sought with solini's demand that the two coun- tries come to some settlement, a re- ply which has been so long delayed as to stir the ire of the Itallan premier. While spreading ofl upon troubled waters to the east of the Adriatic Potncare is declared to have ap- proached Premler Mussolini indirectly and urged moderation and prudence in future Italian actions. He pos- sibly conveyed to Mussolini Serbia’s desire for peaceful settlement and lack of desire for war. It also is significant that Premier Mussolini, in the past few days, while afirming the desire to protect Italy’s interests nevertheless foreswore any desire to wage war upon Belgrade. In the council of ambassadors the British have backed the French ef- forts to head off war. As a result Italy agreed to evacuate Corfu on September 27. But the feeling against England has grown bitter in Italy in recent weeks despite former avowals of greatest friendship and there is some uneasiness in London that Poincare may be successful in weaning away Itallan support of the Baldwin pol- icles designed to effect general set- tlement in Europe. If Italy should align herself with France the pre- dominence of the French political in- fluence on the continent would be sustained for an Indefinite period. Most certainly would England's polit- fcal future be insecure, so much so that it would be extremely doubtful if the whip hand in continental af- fairs could be recovered by London for decades—possibly not until there is another great military upheaval such as usually brings new political alignments among nations. However, Italy's present antipathies may be transitory. As in many cases in the past, cooler moments may direct continued close affiliation with Downing street in continental polit- ical affalrs. . Reclamation Projects Reclamation work is to be one of the nost important' phases of legislation to bo dealth with by the incoming Con- gress. With the admitted purpose of having as complete information as can be obtained on all reclamation projects to lay before the new Congress, Secre- tary Work has directed Commissioner Davis of the reclamdtfon bureau to make a personal survey and inspection of all the projects, an adviser of the President in the re- | Other interested partics. the operator the need o and educati dustry, so ti understandi: between the r tors, and betv :n of publicit sard to the shall be bett. ctter relation d the opera - public and the In the op! fon of the commission such und standing and improved relations as the es&ntials. For Permanent Agency. The advisability of the establis ment of a permanent governm agency to give to the public and t the miners and operators up-to-dat. Information in regard to the coal in- dustry has been suggested by the commission. One of the great difi- culties in the coal industry has Been the seasonal character of the busi- ness. Another lies In the fact that too many mines have been and are being developed simultaneously. The result has been to make many mines idle, or to cause them to operate on part time, too many days in the vear. The miners have been paid for too few working days in consequence, during a year. The use of coal as a fuel has become so common in this country that coal business has taken on the garb of a public utility to almost as great an extent as transportation. The tr portation problem still requires at- tentfon, but the government has sct up the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion and the Railroad Labor Board to deal with rates and wages and work- ing conditions. From the polnt ‘of view of the public the government can well afford to expend some money in setting up agencies which will help the people get a continuous supply of fuel at falr rates. Renewable Agreements. Another recommendation of itho Coal Commission, which is entitipe: serious consideration by the gpi tors and the miners is that all agre ments between them shall renew themselves, unless ninety days’ “r?ffl‘ is given by elther or both parties that they are not satisfactory, Such a period would give Aw tunity for investigation Mm and a chance to bring about a et ment. In its report on the authra- cite industry the commission sug- gested the President be given by legislation the authority to auclare an emergency, should there be a na- tional coal strike, and to operato the mines 80 as. to prevent a fuel famine, Whether Congress will fol- low such a recommendation is doubt- ful. Certainly there will be strong opposition’ to it. But there are con- servative members of Congress who insist that unless the coal industry sots its house in order, eventually there will be even more drastic action, and possible nationalization of the mines by the government,