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Show WAR CONTRACTS. We had supposed that the middle west was getting a fair share of the war contracts. The Chicago Tribune's "platform," however, seems to imply that too much of the war work is belli be-lli done in the east and south and not enough in the Windy City and the state of Illinois. Detroit is certainly doing great things in the manufacturing manufactur-ing line, and we have heard no complaints com-plaints from Ohio, both in the middle west. Undoubtedly all the states in I the union could manufacture war ma terial. At the same time some of them are not so favorably located as others, and transportation by rail and water has to be considered. We do not believe be-lieve there has been any discrimination against Illinois, the richest and most populous state of the middle west, and we are certain there is no lack of business busi-ness in Chicago. It is evident, however, how-ever, that some of the surplus labor has been sent to other points. The same thing has occurred in Salt Lake and hundreds of other cities, and all of us would rather see the work brought to the laborers than have the workingmeu moved to the seaboard manufacturing ,. plants. Salt Lake is much worse off than Chicago in this respect, and if there is any chance for "more and larger war contracts,'' which is one of the Chicago Chi-cago paper's demands, we want to be counted in when the distribution is made. Utah money has been going beyond the borders of the state ever v since the war began, but we shall "go over the top" before the fourth Liberty Lib-erty loan campaign is ended; we shall continue to buy thrift stamps and we shall pay our income taxes without grumbling, for we know that the war is a just war and that it will cost many billions of dollars. We shall likewise continue to furnish soldiers for the army, sailors for the navy and able-bodied able-bodied men for the war industries wherever they may be needed. At the same time we believe the gov-' gov-' eminent should utilize as many of the inland manufacturing plants as possible in order that industry may not be paralyzed para-lyzed and business demoralized in any Bection of the country while the awful struggle continues. But we realize that the seaboard cities possess great natural nat-ural advantages and that a large percentage per-centage of the war work must be .lone , at cuch places. Chicago is the grain and meat center of the entire world. and is not likely to suffer financially on account of the war, which is not true ! of very many of the smaller cities, and j tbe latter should be favored as far as possible in the placing of contracts by j the government. We have repeatedly called attention to the prevailing comli- I tion? in the inter.nountain country, believing be-lieving that our business men and work-ingmen work-ingmen have just claims for consideration. |