Show MONEY ONEY H HANDLERS AND ANDU ND U PROFITEERS FLAYED Frank t P 1 Walsh Former 3 Member of War Vai ar Labor Bonn Declares Living Costs ost Have Advanced l Out ut of ofIl All Il Proportion to Wages 4 I By Bj Patr Patrick Patrich ch lJJ McEvoy cE voy Correspondent n t. t rte S f T W K-W Aug US 21 The Thc The chief N L factors In the Increased cost cot of oC oCI I living arc aro arc profiteering enormous prof- prof financing find and unchecked storage storage store stor- stor its In age e of oe foods said gald Frank rank P. P Walsh former former associate chairman of or the tho war 4 iab labor r board and for man many yc years ar one ono of r the thc prominent advocates ad of or the thc rl rights of or labor In an Interview today Mr Walsh had hud beoh asked whether he thought the continued demands of la labor 11 a bor for higher wages would woId tend to cause causa corresponding Increases In the thc cost of or living JIvinG That question t he said aid Implies that there has been an n Increase In wa wages es corre corresponding with tho the Increase 1 In the cost of or living 11 That Is not nol the case Living II costs have advanced ad out but of oC all proportion Ion to wages was Labor usual usually Is an Inconsiderable item of cost ost lr h agriculture manufacturing and antl s 's f W Worker orl rH G Get t i It would be the thc height of oC absurdity to to allege allece that had this one Item of or cost been doubled which it has not the cost of oC goods also should be he doubled dou dou- bled The fact Is that only onh a few workers those who contribute invaluable inval inval- brains and to so- so have r been ablo able io to u have their Ia es keep abreast of oC the Increased crl cot cost of in living The great masses cs of oC labor arc are farther from Crom obtaining decent and comfortable living conditions than ever t er before beCore The obvious ob reason Is that m manufacturers and commercial com companies panics have retained their war pre-war profit percentages percentage When hen food clothing and antl other ne necessities necessities ne- ne pa pass 8 through h several IU hands lIds and nl a war pre-war percentage of or profit Is maintained in the first handling the consumer Is forced to pa pay profits pr pyramided 1 on profits The world would laugh Jaus-h at business men who doubled the cost of their goods gonds because their rent or the price the they pay for or coal roal had been doubled d yet ct It takes lakes seriously the cl claims that because Ja labor or has had a n though nowhere near a 00 per cent Increase goods should double and triple In value The cost of living lI will vIll cont continue to n 6 as ns lon long as ns th these se shameful practices nr ar arc tolerated I mr anc and labor will continue to get gel less and antl I less ess for Car its ILs work worl handlers Worse or Offenders Profiteering Is the greatest factor In Iii the Increase of living ins costs and the money y handlers arc are the thc worst offenders offend offend- i ers In this re respect Their commissions arc ITe enormous They command unlimited power not noL only from fram the tho people but hut also from governments The na national national na- na tiona banks of or the tho countr country sit vit of oe the pockets o of the people every cry car b-car tar the the value of nf the entire cotton crop and aad half halt the wheat wheal crop to support th lr dividends dl and add to their ur t-ur- ur- ur plus A hugo huge toll also allo I is taken tillen on the theton toll ton and antl sweat wat of men and women b by bythe the trust companies state stat banks bond I houses fiscal a agencies and other financial finan cial ial al Institutions The Thc most can conspicuous Instance of ar profiteering but one which sh shows ws in a 1 striking way ay how I W profiteering affects every ery w worker I is he narrated h by I 1 R. R Greene marketing expert at far f Dame Iame ar le university lt According According- to Mr Greene a L farmer In the drove e to a flour mill with a m n of ar wh at Aa After r It he lie to another door Inor of or the tho same mill rind bought a ton a of bran hian the husks hUsk nf or wheat He paid nearl nearly 10 more for the hran bran than thap he Jot cot ot for the thc wheat t lI He fe would have hn done clone hotter had hac h he fid fed the wheat wheal to his cattle Profit Mr Gr Greene enc cites other Instances of ot pro profiteering fit ec ri ng For Tor Instance ii s ta n cc s sweet w e e t corn corp that costs tho the carmelS carmel'S canners about three e cents a is can an sold said to the consumer con eon sumer at 20 2 I to 40 cents a can according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to the canning The farmer gets Jets US S a ton tort for far corn that retails for from to In I April loiS InS milk sold In New York for H It cents a a quart which cost the wholesales 8 5 51 cents a a. quart The rhe cost of oC mark marketing milk to New CW lorle then ranges from s Si SA to cents a quart The stora storage e system has degenerated degen crated from a fine fipo plan Illan to give hl the I people caple summer foods all the year ear fresh rind and seasonable foods roods arc are h gh tp to consumers In 11 season and almost prohibitive vc out a of season The storage storage stor stor- age age system as s now handled is an actual actual ac ac- ac- ac menace to the people Do Po Do you au think the thc CD cost t of or living JIving eat cat be scaled down as suggested b by Warren S. S Stone of or the Brotherhood I I or of Locomotive Engineers so that thai further increases of or wages ma may J not ubi ho le necessary asked tho tao ont ent SidesteP tp reduced tl greatly great great- t- t Ye Yes Costs could be was was made mt de to doso doso do doso If IC an real effort ly 13 any authority lInt But so b by those In fixIng bodies composed of or men who ho themselves cs surely ro profiteering am aro round to one b by which tho pr prices price of oC distracted must be bo tho thu last resort of oC officials who alle allege e the they hey arc sincere In th their lr efforts to reduce ln lI living costs costa would go so UP tip from Crom What an outcry employers If tho workers worker were called caned and allowed to fix Ix Lv ty the ho government s their wages wag in tho the new effort to re reduce reduce re- re duce living ins costs nut Hut hit It would be a S real blow blo to ln th that done world If Ir anything should bo be would stop top tho the aspiration of af labor for Cor a full Cull and free life embracing not only sufficient wages but al also alio o c enough h leisure to enjoy life to acquire i I culture and antl to take part in such no nodal so- so o- o oI I dal a activities tI as any n normal I. I being i demands Labor al always as Will win L' L PC lC 01 the offensive regardless of oC the cost costo o of tho the present standard of living 11 until untila a newer and better plane of or life liCe IB Is brought about aboul Is It Il likely that nationalization alion of oC Industries will be adopted in ii this country and do llo you consider the Plumb plan of railroad operation a feasible one one Industry lon lonI f I do n not t think It likely that will be a nationalization atlan of or general Industry Economic changes in that respect as far as present tendencies aro arc c concerned arc are toward full participation par par- by workers The fundamentals fundamentals fundamentals funda funda- of oC the Plumb plan transportation tation at cost participation of or workers workers work work- ers officials an and In operation opera tion and profits and guarantee of or just return to Inv Investors for every honest dollar I Invested seem to mc me a sound basis for a sensible solution of oC the railroad 1 problem What do you rou think of oC the suggestions lions of Sir Auckland Geddes In Great Britain and Governor i of oC the federal reserve board in this I country that the only remedy for Cor the thc Increased d cost o of lIvin living l Is work and antl sa save e I Well I hould should like c to know j whether these gentlemen consider it St itI I extravagance extra for a workingman to lo pay a 2 for or a shirt that used to cost him hini SO 80 cents If It either cither of oC them can tell a worker how he ma may live IIvo without working or how he ho can saoI save sa I I face of or the Ule on present wages In tho the high cost o of living th the day of or miracles mir mir- acles Is not past I t should like c to know just how much ranch work either cither of or these gentlemen is doln doing and what sacrifices ees he is making In lino line with the advice ad he is IR giving to tho the workers work work- ers Do you ou find rind an any analogy between een pre present enl conditions and toso tose the Civil war var war when man many industries I were forced to shut down and do you I think readjustment of pres present nt unnatural unnatural ural Industrial and economic conditions conditions condi condi- lions can cnn be brou brought ht about without a apan pan panic Ie CI Civil AVar nr n TI t There Is no analogy between conditions con con- at this thiM time limo anti and those thoe which I IId faced Id this nation at the close o of nf the civil war At l that time the nation I was wai changing from front an agricultural to toI toan toan I an Industrial basis It had relatively little Industrial production but was v.-as supporting Its credit balances and antl I gaining national prosperity b by ex extensive ex- ex marketing of agricultural products and of or natural resources We have ha come out of this last war warth warthe th the richest nation the one best fitted d dby by man power pow for tor continuance of in industrial In- In effort cHort and by machinery for hl 11 speed production There Is anI an I appalling nee need 1 for manufactured goods goodsall all over the world There has been no loss los a of production and antl there will not nat beThe beThe be The readjustments to 10 bo be ma made o willbe will willbo be bo on tho basis of or prosperity in sight for virtually every line of oC Industry finance and commerce There never nevor existed o so complete a La basis ls for Cor ex extensive ex- ex credits J and for Cor complete confidence con con- In jn the future As far Car as as world conditions m may my y be analyzed the period of or p prosperity seems to stretch at al least leasta a decade ahead If It there Is a n. panic It will be bo a to order one Would the adoption of a budget bud system b by the national s o government help to relIeve the situation b by re reducing re- re expenditures and therefore taxation 1 Budget Would an Little I The adoption of oC a a. budget system would avail avaH hUt but little in lowering lowerins- liv liv- lag Ing costs It should be a adopted apted hoWever however however how how- ever as a means toward definite In Information Information In- In formation concerning the range an and extent of or governmental expenditures expenditure and also because use its adoption would give s-Ive a scientific quasi basis for such expenditures and ond a means for tar itemized item comparisons year ear by 5 year car But Buta lluta a budget Is no bar to extravagance per se sc A budget is n no no- better than its administration Some Somo persons suggest that t we seem to be coming around gradually to a a. rc-e rc establishment rc o of the guild guil 1 system of or tho the middle ages as Do you think such a n. system would correct the evils e o of the thc present industrial DS D'S tern Z Tho rho guild system of ot the middle ages would have havo no part in mod mod- rn life It would be a mere anachronism Tho The truth is as I see sec It that there Is a a. decided tr trend Ht toward rd Industrial 1 democracy in which the brain and muscle workers w will take p ri in e cr every phase of oc Industry including proper control of or it Il and particularly their own relation as workers to It Workers Cnn I Tho The fight Os-ht the labor laIor unions and the tho r for fOl the last quarter quarter ter of or a y has been c essentially a a. struggle fur for mastery of oC man over overman man The employers d declare no no nan man manor n nor or set of men can can tell us how hots' to run our business The workers worker where they have attained collective c voice declare no man or 01 set et of at men can control our aur lives live So the world In Including Including In- In eluding our own country has hns come to toan toan toan an Impasse Impasse for for the workers have hae grown strong enough to lo- paralyze tho the basic Industries almost at will wili Now ow tho the cons consumers consumers' mer da day is here Tho The rights of tho the public WhIch Public which term maans all an the workers and employers employ employ- ers aro aro declared paramount This means an end to this wasteful struggle for or mastery master There must be willing operation co with full Cull heart hearty Joint control by workers and employers s In I all basic basle industries or an end to civilisation as we wo know it Il IL |