March 2, 1917. 
THe MoveMENT FoR UNIVERSAL military service in 
America seems to be growing and the war in Europe and 
the threatened difficulties of our own nations aid the pio- 
paganda. Many persons whose feelings would prompt 
them to demur and whose reasonings leads then: in the 
ways of the pacificist are puzzled ‘by a harsh situation. 
Their inclinations lead them away from war and all its 
stern necessities and the paths of peace are alluring, but 
their judgment reveals a situation that cannot be avoided. 
It is speedily becoming a problem, not of whether we are 
willing; it appears an imperative necessity. 
In THE Mipst oF AN INTERNATIONAL contest, a na- 
tional crisis and H. C. of L. thunderings, the Constitu- 
tional convention to be held next June at the State House 
in Boston does not appear to be engrossing the interest of 
the press or of the people. Yet it will be an important 
assembly and the questions coming before it will be of 
vital interest to the citizens of the state. There is a 
growing feeling that despite the vote of the people to call 
the convention it is not unlikely that many of its pro- 
visions arranged for the voters’ decision next fall will be 
rejected. 
Poor Hoi_Anp! her ships are being sunk, her over- 
the-sea trade ruined, her overland business relations end- 
ed and her borders menaced by a powerful enemy. There 
are those who believe that the enemy has designs on the 
poor little country; whether that be so or no it is quite 
evident that the nation is suffering intensely from the war 
and that the future is not free of the most serious dangers. 
One of the most despicable results of the perfidy of na- 
tional honor has been the suffering of unoffending nations. 
THe Boy Scouts of the State of Ohio have won a 
position of respect and honor by their service in the sup- 
pression of the tussock moth. In a two weeks’ campaign 
over three million eggs were destroyed by the willing 
workers. <A prize was given to an energetic lad who sur- 
passed all others in his skill, but all of the troops won 
honors, and best of all had an opportunity to serve their 
state in a valuable way. This in itself was a valuable 
lesson in citizenship. 
ONE OF THE INTERESTING BusINEss factors, now evi- 
dent, is the number of persons owning estates upon the 
Shore who have awakened to the fact that it is possible 
to make preparations for their alterations early in the 
season rather than delay until later. ‘Contractors are al- 
ready at work upon summer plans and these fortunate 
foresighted persons will have their interests well cared 
for. A word to the wise ought to be sufficient. 
THE UNANIMITY WitTH WuouicH all Americans have 
rallied to the aid of the President is gratifying and indi- 
cates a high order of national patriotism. As John Hays 
Hammond, Jr.. said in his address in Boston Monday, “‘I am 
a republican, but in this crisis I support. the President 
heartily.” That is the spirit of true national service. 
What Hammond has said countless thousands have been 
quietly thinking. 
THe New Haven RarLroap Srock still continues to 
eo down,—and down. Its tobogan slide is emblematic of 
the folly of governmental interference with a legitimate 
and desirable business interest. When will the public 
awaken to the need of pEanary plain justice for trans- 
portation corporations. 
Tur Boy Scou’s of Manchester and Beverly Farms 
united in their celebration of .Washington’s Birthday in 
an interesting and profitable way. 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 9 
H. G. Weutts Has Daren in these troublesome times 
to be a prophet and has written a volume on the war,— 
“Mr. Britling Sees It Through.” It is an interesting and 
readable book, but more of a volume destined to serve as 
a part of a propaganda than for entertaining reading. It 
is more than a novel—it is an English appeal to America 
to understand her present life and sacrifice. 
THeE MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT and the interest in 
the work of the German submarines has taken the mili- 
tary activities of the land forces from the first pages of 
the journals, but it should not be overlooked that the 
3ritish have made a gain over a front eleven miles long 
and that advances may be expected at any time including 
the holding of the Ancre and probably Bapaume. 
Harry THAw’s MOTHER has appealed to the state to 
care for her son; and thus ends the tragedy of a broken 
home and a ruined life. It is a pity that the young man 
could not have been safely cared for at Matteawan. 
HE Frpera, TRADE COMMISSION is about to start an 
investigation of the rise of food prices. It will ask 
the President to approve an appropriation of $400,000 for 
that purpose. It proposes to cover every side of the food 
situation. 
Good! Let us hope at last we are going to have a 
real investigation. The country has confidence in the 
Federal Trade Commission. Now let’s have the facts. 
Let’s go to the bottom—to the fundamentals—and really 
learn all that can be learned about the subject. 
The problem is legal and economic. The question 
of whether there are combinations in restraint of trade 
must be decided. That has heretofore attracted the main 
attention. Now it’s time to go more into the economic 
part—and go into it thoroughly. Are the people being 
compelled to pay too much for what they buy? Nobody 
can answer that until he can say with reasonable approxi- 
mation what it costs to produce those things. 
In some fields the trade commission will find plenty 
of. data. -The packers, for instance, can tell it exactly 
what it costs them to turn out their products. Govern- 
ment attention has encouraged accurate cost accounting in 
their case. But these fields are limited. In the biggest 
fields of all the work will have to be done from the ground 
up. There isn’t a farmer in Illinois who knows what it 
costs him to put his product on the market today. There 
isn’t one manufacturer in ten who has an accurate idea 
of what it costs him to run his business. 
Let the trade commission start literally “from the 
ground up.” Let it start with the farmer and find what 
production of everything, from eggs to wheat and cattle, 
means in terms of money and labor expenditure. He 
doesn’t know, and nobody else knows. Then let it follow 
the product to consumption. Many people assume high 
prices don’t start until they reach some large organization. 
From the economic standpoint they are just as liable to 
start at the beginning as anywhere else. Prices cannot be 
permanently below the cost of production under any cir- 
cumstances. 
The country is in the mood for an investigation that 
will be long and deep and thorough. It is tired of these 
continued flurries about high prices that get nothing ex- 
cept possibly a politician into Congress or some other job 
or into the newspapers. It has had its fill of half-baked 
renedies that spring from attention to only one-half of 
the great problem. Let’s have an investigation that will 
enable the country to see it steadily and see it whole. It 
would be cheap at $400,000 or $4,000,000.—Chicago 
Herald, 
