The Elk Mountain pilot. [volume], March 16, 1922, Image 2

About The Elk Mountain pilot. [volume] (Irwin, (Ruby Camp), Gunnison County, Colo.) 1880-19??

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The Elk Mountain Pilot
C. T. RAWALT, Publisher
MATTIE L. MILLER, Local Editor
Entered as Second Class Matter at the Postoffice at
Crested Butte, Colorado.
Advertising rate cards furnished on application
Subscription $2.00 per Year
A NATION OF CO-OPERATORS
TO find one nation in the world that is genuinely
prosperous, where the people are all busy and happy,
while discontent and poverty are practically unknown,
should mean much to us at any time. Such a nation can
perhaps teach us things worth knowing.
Recent travelers and students are practically unani
mous in declaring that Denmark is just now the most
prosperous country in Europe, and the most democratic,
judged from the point of view of a general distribution
of wealth and the enjoyment of equality of opportunity.
With a high average of comfort, we are told, there has
been brought about in the little Scandinavian kingdom a
high average of intelligence and of culture. Indeed, Den
mark puts forth well-based claims to be the best educated
nation in the world. And this because it is a nation of
farmers.
The secret of it all? The question Is answered in a
word: Co-operation. Dr. Frederic C. Howe calls his re
cent, very interesting and informing volume, “Denmark:
A Co-operative Commonwealth." He shows very clearly
that the remarkable progress of the country is due first
and foremost to the development of the co-operative spir
it and of practical co-operative methods in agriculture.
Denmark is distinctively an agricultural country. Indus
trially, it hardly counts; but it exports some $150,000,000
worth of agricultural products yearly.
As Dr. Howe points out, the remarkable progress of
the Danes economically, and at the same time mentally
and morally, may be traced to successive steps forced on
them in the seventies. Losses of territory and the com
petition of American and Argentine wheat had reduced
the country to a very low ebb. These recuperative steps
began with the breaking up of large holdings into small
farms and the practical extinction of tenant-farming in
favor of peasant proprietorship. Collective buying and
collective marketing rid the Danish farmer of the ex
actions of the middleman. With intensive farming went
a standardizing of products. They sent a commission to
Ireland to find out how is was that the Irish eggs, butter
and bacon were able to command such high prices in the
English market. * Then they so far improved upon the
Irish products that they were able to compete with them
advantageously.
The farmer buys food for his cattle, agricultural ma
chinery and all kinds of farm and household* supplies
through wholesale co-operative stores in Copenhagen.
The Danish farmer is also a banker. There are 521
co-operative savings banks and the farmers’ financial
problems are happily solved by means of efficient co-ope
rative credit unions. Co-operation has furnished the co
herent element in Danish democracy and given a new and
immensely significant trend to popular education. The
Danish farmers are a power in politics because they do
things for themselves and are not dependent on the gov
ernment. They have made Denmark a genuinely demo
cratic country, because in economic organization and ad
ministration they prefer private to state initiative and
activity. They even run their own schools without regard
to the politicians.—Dearborn Independent.
IN RE MATTERS IN WHICH I HAVE INTEREST
Hon.
Washington, D. C.
Dear Senator or Congressman:
The undersigned feels deep interest in the passage of
TY*© Capper Truth in Fabric bill, the Ford Muscle Shoals
proposition, and the retention of thevForest Reserve sys
tem in the present form.
I feel that the great public are entitled to know
whether the goods they buy are actually virgin wool or
not, and that a failure to support and promote the pas
sage of the Truth in Fabric bill is a deliberate effort to
enable crooks to deceive us with shoddy. Honest men do
not adulterate their goods, and this bill merely makes
for enforcing common honesty. It deserves your support
and I earnestly request you to protect me in this matter.
The Ford proposal touching Muscle Shoals will per
mit the exemplification of the well known Ford Methods
in production. In my opinion a government that has de
liberately wasted billions on subsidies and bonuses to the
cohorts of Big Business may accept and sell one war in
dustry to a man who offers, and whom the people trust,
to develop and prove a new feature in business. Mr. Ford
says he will reduce the price of fertilizer and power.
The people believe he will keep his word. You folks are
throwing away a merchant marine, you are junking and
sacrificing manifold industries which we paid for in Lib
erty bonds, you are constantly besieged to make a dona
tion of $11,000,000,000 of war loans to our allies, and we
submit that it is no more than decent to give one man in
whom the people have confidence, an opportunity to do
something for the people of this country.
I express the wish and hope that you will support Mr.
Ford’s proposal without any incumbering amendments.
The Forest Reserve has developed a wonderful con
servation program nuder its present management. I
earnestly request that you oppose the effort to delegate
it to the Interior Department. I want it retained just
where and as it is. I feel competent to judge which is
best. It at present controls anrl manages a vast store of
wealth, a veritable heritage for generations yet unborn.
I seriously request that you do not turn it over to the ex
ploitation of private interests.
Dear Senator or Congressman, I am serious in re
questing your favorable action on these questions in
which I feel deep interest. No selfish motive animates
my request and upon your action I shall judge how well
you serve this constituency and how much you care for
my interests and tho-c of mv neighbors.
Yours very respectfully,
Signature.
Address.
IF you feel the interest that you should you will clip
this letter, address and forward to one of our congressmen
or a senator. Follow that with one next week to another,
until you ha%e sent one letter to ench congressman and
senator from this state. They are: Senators Lawrence
I’hipps, and Sam Nicholson, both of whom may be ad
dressed at Washington, D. C., Senate Chamber. Congress
men Edward T. Taylor, Guy U. Hardy, Wm. N. Vaile, and
Charles Timberlake all of whom may be addressed at the
House Office Building, Washington, D. C. If you prefer,
write a personal letter instead, but write each one. If
we make it clear to these men that we want these meas
ures and the action specified they will respect your re
quest. WRITE THESE LETTERS!
v SUNDAY NIGHT MUSINGS
By C. T. RAWALT
IN the course of a writeup of Judge John Gray, of
Mont’ose, our friend Charley Adams says:
To our mind, Judge Gray in his prime, could have
been one of the big men of the country had he not got on
the wrong side of the political fence. He possessed the
brains, ability and energy, but he lacked the opportunity
in the party with which he chose allegiance, that was all.
He had splendid early training—he was a bosom compan
ion of the late Senator John J. Ingalls of Kansas—the
great Republican—in fact, he was tutored in eloquence
by Senator Ingalls, one of the nation’s most eloquent
speakers. Just why Judge Gray did not embrace the
doctrine of Republicanism, he has never explained to us,
but since he did not, his fame has not reached beyond the
confines of the Centennial state, whereas it might have
been nation-wide.
We might give it as our opinion that Judge Gray’s
politics represented his opinions. In other words, Judge
Gray has a conscience, a characteristic quite unknown
among those whose political affiliations are established
through expediency. It has been the good fortune of the
writer to intimately know John Gray, and to every word
of Mr. Adams’ eulogy, written on the occasion of Judge
Gray’s 81st birthday, we can subscribe except the criti
cism of his judgment politically, and to that we dissent
vigorously. Judge Gray is a democrat oecause he knows
what democracy is. He resembles some professing dem
ocrats the same way an eagle resembles a buzzard. It is
a transcendent honor to have played democratic politics
with John Gray. It is a reflection on one’s political in
tegrity to have opposed him. We do not now recall a
single instance when his voice was not raised for simon
pure democracy without entangling alliances.
THE first sensible suggestion we have ever observed
from the State Tax Commission was made the past week
when Mr. Link strongly' suggested a State Income Tax as
a method of more equitably distributing the tax burden.
Income and inheritance taxes are far the most just and
effective form of raising revenues. The man with no in
come should not be taxed, and the man who, either by
bull luck or other means has an income, can afford to con
tribute to the expense of government. Also when taxes
are borne more largely by the classes who can pay them,
more attention will be paid to the ways in which they
are expended. So long as the burden falls on the poor
people, so long will the money raised by taxation be
squandered for private benefit. The poor people do not
well safeguard their interests or thAy would not be poor.
And in no way is so much money taken from the pockets
of the people and ruthlessly squandered, as by the tax
collectors and tax eaters.
DURING the past week three ranchmen and two
business men have called at this office to talk over tax
ation matters and question if something could not be
done to reduce the fearful burden being inflicted by the
taxing powers. We have again and again called atten
tion to what was occurring and always without response
from the people who have to dig up the money. Now,
when taxes have practically doubled and when fresh ad
ditions are being proposed, some are becoming interested.
There is just one way to reduce taxation, and that is to
reduce expenditures. That, in this county and city, can
be done. Whether it will, depends entirely on the people
who elect officers and pay the taxes. When we authorize
fresh expenditures and when we wink at extravagant use
of public funds, we cannot well criticise those who in the
one case obey our order and in the other show laxity in
care for disbursements. This paper and its associate pub
lications, are ready and willing to work for tax reduc
tion, but we will not make a fight for reforms which the
, people are too apathetic to lead in. There must be or
t ganized opposition to the present raid of the taxeaters
before the writer is going to do or say much. It is easy
enough for the five men who called on us to organize a
r bunch of similarly minded people and by agitation actu
ally reduce taxes for the coming year 26% if they have
the interest te do it. It is the surest thing there is that
} governments, national, state, county and municipal, are
just as good and wise as the people who live under them.
} That is, the MAJORITY of the people who live under
them. It is equally true that this government offers
plenty of opportunity for securing improvement whenever
‘ the people desire improvement. Intelligent organization,
s proper attention to the doings of officials, and non-politi
cal voting will correct every governmental ill we suffer
; from. We have no patience with mere kickers. But we
would love to see some kickers become real doers.
* PRESIDENT HARDING and Secretary Mellon by ar
duous team work have beaten the soliders’ bonus bill.
• It remains to be seen how the action will react. If we
j were prescribing a course for totally discrediting the re
-1 publican party, we could not think of ingredients for the
concoction that would beat this action on the bonus bill,
the excessive interest in subsidizing the shipping trust,
the desperate effort to donate millions to the railroads,
1 and the servile subserviency every where to the demands
* of the Big Business owners of this administration. The
discriminating efforts to destroy organized labor will also
• be considered by voters who howled their heads off for
Harding a year ago. No, the President and his party are
committing suicide much faster than enemies are harm
[ ing them.
t POWER is not power when it is touched with Fear.
* For that reason there is no “money power”—high finance
F is afraid, afraid of change. But “high finance" is only a
term used to intimidate people. Comparatively few ban^
■ ers live in New York, and when the thousands of bankers
outside of Now York refuse to send the peoplefs money tt>
■ the eastern speculators, the so-called “money power”
i will cease to exist even as a name. Bankers of this
i country enn easily extricate themselves from the New
I York net whenever they like. And there are enough
• thoughtful honest, serviceable bankers in the country to
do that, and thus take the first step toward monetary re
form on the basis of community service and justice.—
Henry Ford, in Dearborn Independent.
PRESIDENT HARDING recommends that Congress
- K've the Shipping Trust a subsidy of $32,000,000 “to en
courage our merchant marine.” When will this, thing
stop, I wonder. Millions to the Raihoads, millions to the
, Pu ' ar Trust, now more millions to the ship owners.
NOTHING for the ex-soldiers. Their job is to pay taxes,
j say nothing—and “vote 'er straight.”—lnland Empire.
“HENRY FORD gave all his war p-ofits—twenty-nine
- millions —to the government with no hampering condi
tions. This vast amount wns turned back to the treasury
I to be used as the government saw fit.” Can anybody re
» member the exact amount the fertilizer trust gave up?—
, Creeds Candle.
t f N,
Wc state it as our honest V\ ]
belief that the tobaccos used A
in Chesterfield are of finer / ML
quality (and hence of better V J
taste) than in any other /. •-
cigarette at the price. V xjQ tT - V 'fti
Liggett & Myerj Tobacco
Chesterfield
CIGARETTES
of Turkish and Domestic tobaccos—blended
(Continued from first page.)
AND OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES REMAINED ON
DUTY FOR LONG PERIODS UNDER THE MOST
TRYING CONDITIONS WITHOUT QUESTION, RE
FLECTING A SPIRIT OF SELF-SACRIFICE IN THE
COMMON CAUSE AND A DETERMINATION TO
CONTRIBUTE AS FULLY AS POSSIBLE IN BRING
ING THE WAR TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.”
Every regional director, all of whom were and now
among the foremost railroad executives, paid similar trib
ute to the loyalty and efficiency of the workers during
the most trying years'of the nation’s history.
“LARGEST RETURN PER MAN HOUR IN HISTORY”
The facts are that during the period of federal con
trol the workers received “less pay than any other class
of industrial workers doing similar work” (testimony of
Mr. McAdoo, before Interstate Commerce Commission),
and in return gave “the largest return per man hour in
the history of the railroads, so far as comparable records
are available” (report of Mr. Hines to President, March
1920).
Instead of “slacking,” as has been charged by certain
railroad executives and their spokesmen, railroad workers
gave up privileges and concessions long enjoyed and
“THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PERIOD OF THE WAR
1 OOK over
“your supply
of stationery
—see if you are not
short of letterheads,
statements, or envel
opes. Order them a
few days before you
are entirely out —we
will get them to you.
And It Will Be A First Class Job
■ Give us a chance on
your next order.
Write, Call or Phone
Always Give Satisfaction and
“Prices Are Always Better Here”
STOOD BY THEIR JOBS AND WORKED LOYALLY AN»
EFFICIENTLY.” (McAdoo’s testimony.)
The records of the workers, Mr. McAdoo declares,
speaks for itself. “No stronger refutation of the charg®
that railroad men were inefficient or indifferent to th®
interests of the Railroad Administration and of their
country in its great emergency could be adduced,” Mr.
McAdoo told the Senate Committee.
“WHAT I HAVE SAID APPLIES TO ALL EM
PLOYEES OF THE RAILROADS, WHO, WITH PA
TRIOTISM AND ZEAL, SERVED THEIR COUNTRY
IN THAT GREAT TIME.”
MINNEAPOLIS COOKS TO START
CO-OPERATIVE RESTAURANTS
THE Northwestern Cooks’ Association announces th®
organization of a $25,000 co-operative company, wholly
financed by organized labor, for the eatabiishment of a.
chain of co-operative restaurants in the city of Minne
apolis. Co-operative restaurants are among the moat,
popular and thriving forms of co-operation in European
cities. The co-operative cafeteria run by New York offic®
workers has become so successful that branchea have been,
started to care for the patronage.