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Show GOVERNORS ARE EAGER TO AID IN LOWERING COST OF LIVING Committee Appointed to Visit Washington and Offer Services to Administration Forces. State Budget Problems and Consolidated Administration Ad-ministration Boards Are Discussed Also. Seven governors, forming a committee commit-tee to represent the national conference of governors, will go to Washington and tell President Wilson, Attorntv General Palmer, the members of congress and others that they are ready and eager to cooperate in lowering the high cost of living at once. This decision was reached yesterday at the opening session ses-sion of the conference, which was devoted de-voted to a discussion of ways and means of reducing the cost of living. "We have the brains in the United States to find the cause of the high cost of living, and we have the intelligence intelli-gence and energy to find and apply the remedy," Governor F. D. Gardner of Missouri declared. Governor Gardner was appointed chairman of the committee commit-tee that will confer in Washington and report to every state executive in the country what is expected of him under the plan to nialte the pay check meet the grocery, meat and clothing bills. Governors Sproul of Pennsylvania, Mil-liken Mil-liken of Maine, Governor Burnquist of Minnesota, Governor Bickctt of North Carolina, Governor Stewart of Montana and Governor Campbell of Arizona are the other members of the committee. STATE GOVERNMENT PROBLEMS TOPIC. Two other matters of importance were taken up during the day's session, the question of the state budget and the consolidation of administrative boards. Tho former subject was reviewed in a paper written by Governor Pliilipp of Wisconsin, and read in his absence by Miles C. Riley, secretary of the conference. con-ference. Governor McKelvie of Nebraska Ne-braska provided an interesting af ter- (Contimied on Pago 8, Column 1.) I COST MIT State Executives Organize to Help Lower Soaring Soar-ing Prices. (Continued From Fane One.) jifion in liis ttisrussion of thfl consolidation consolida-tion plan, :is carried out in Nebraska through tlio i rt u:il formation or' a niilifrnalorial cabinet of six department lii-ads. .V i r prepare! on the sanm subject. sub-ject. 1 ,y (lovi-rnor liavis of Malm wan read to tin- erml'erenee. by liis sn: n;l a ry, l''rank V. Hrou'ii, General ! iscilasinn, in which must of the k'n.vpniors partici-puled, partici-puled, followed thu papers. VISITORS GUESTS (W ROTARY CLUI5. Tho ovLTiinr.s wern thu quests ot the Halt l.nkfl Itohiry club fit luncheon yesterday, yes-terday, "vvhilu t ho women of thn prirty were en ( r rt a incd at 1 1n; Country club. At 5 o'clock tho visit-ora all went to Saltai r, wIhto t hi-y enjoyed tlic bat h-iri h-iri and wore tho guests of Governor liainbercr at dinner. The governors attacked tho problem of tho cant of living yesterday morning, morn-ing, dovotin; tho entiro session to a dis-cpsRion dis-cpsRion oC tlio question from many anlrs. (iovernor Gardner opened the diHcliHhion, which was followed by reports re-ports from a number of state executives on tho work that had been do no tie'ir states. It was decided that a cpuimitleo of seven governors should be appointed to 0 to Washington, confer with President Wilson, Attorney Gen- ' eral Palmer and other officials who are directing tho cost of living investigation, investiga-tion, with a view of outlining a plan for state cooperation. PALMER APPROVES (iiOVERNORS' PLAN. ('ovpnior Allen of Kansas, who presided pre-sided al the morning session, appointed (Iovernor Gardner as chairman of the committee. Tho committee was appointed ap-pointed on recommendation of Attorney Attor-ney Cicnoral 1'almer, who sent the following fol-lowing telegram to Governor Gardner: ''I thank you very much for your suggestions. Hearty cooperation in gov- r-niriM-nt 'm plan to -e-:ure appointment fjf fair price ruiniiii'.trcs, ami the aia-tam-e (if star. .'i'-ni-ics in their work, would " iit(-.0y hnlpf'ul. I cordially i-oft'-iir in the il':i ot' having t?:e con tVrruoi of '"'.-frnors eh.-ct a coin in it-!i'D it-!i'D to v i sit Washington, with a view ir' H'M-nriri entire harmony between the fe'l'-rnl and Htatu ar-neius in an efi'urt to rihu'o the hih cost of living." Oovernor iarluer ort'ered a resolution resolu-tion on tho Buijjcf't, which was un.ini-tnoinly un.ini-tnoinly adopted. The resolution follows: ''The governors of the states of the L'niteii State.?, in conference assembled at Salt Take, this 19th day of August, 1 1JI!, declare: ! "That we recogni.c in the high, and in many instances tlio excessive, cost of necessities throughout tho nation tho caiifio of much of the unrest now prevailing: pre-vailing: ' ' That it is highly important that prompt and effective aetion be taken hy federal and state authorities, to tho end that the situation may be remedied: reme-died: "That it is, therefore, the sense of this conference of governors, that, in addition to exercising all power and authority vested in tho states, a com- miltee of seven governors be selectod to forthwith go to Washington, to confer con-fer with tho president, with a view of ascertaining in what manner tho states may best co-operate with the national government in remedying the situation, and at once advise tlio governors of tho several states of the results of their conference with the president, and, if in their judgment necessary, again convene con-vene this conference at a time and place to bo determined by them.'' Is Paramount Question. In hl.s dirjcubsion of the problem, Governor Gov-ernor Gardner declared that It was one of the most vital questions facing tho state executives, an opinion that was supported by the other speakers. Governor Gov-ernor Gardner said that In informal dta-cu.ssions dta-cu.ssions with governors Rnd others, a variety va-riety of reasons had been suggested for tho high cost of living. Among' them he mentioned inflated currency, the vast exports yoiug to foreign countries, food hoarding-, the necessity for larger production, produc-tion, profiteering', delay in the signing of peace and the universal unfavorable corir ditions following tho tremendous destruction destruc-tion of the war. "In my opinion, however," Governor Gardner said, "t here are brains enough in the United States to find the cause, and brains enough to apply the remedy." Governor Stewart told of calling a special spe-cial session of the legislature in Montana to investigate the food question, and the appointment of a. trade commission with powers to act upon the questions Involved. In-volved. This commission, he said, is actively ac-tively at work, and is anxious to learn the best means of co-operating with the federal government. Governor Kproul, a lifelong friend and college classmate of Attorney General Palmer, paid tribute to Mr. Palmer's earnestness In the work he had undertaken. under-taken. He was convinced, he said, that Mr. Palmer would get to the bottom of tho question, and apply the proper remedies. reme-dies. In Pennsylvania, he said, the state council of defense, under the new name of the public welfare board, has been continued, and is empowered to conduct the work in that state. Governor Sproul spoke in favor of the creation of fair price committees, that would publish what it considered to be a fair price for commodities, as a means of whipping profiteers into line. Warns Against Haste.' Governor Harding - of Iowa declared there is little question but that advantage advan-tage of unsettled conditions has been tn ken to make undue profits by many people. He solemnly warned, however, against hasty action and ill-advised actions. ac-tions. Opening the warehouses of the country indiscriminately to throw the goods contained In them upon the market mar-ket might work great injury six months from ijow, he asserted. Governor Harding Is satisfied that the producer is not receiving too much for his products, and that the laborer Is not receiving re-ceiving too much for his work. But in many commodities, he said, there is alio al-io get her t oo vast a difference between what the producer receives and what the ultimate consumer pays. Governor Harding Har-ding expressed the belief that the time had come when every state should maintain main-tain a marketing department, and that the federal government should have such a bureau. Today, he said, no organization organiza-tion or individual, other than private corporations, cor-porations, could say what the present supply is. If the country had such Information In-formation available at this time, he said, the question of the justice of prices would be easy of solution. "There ought to be a federal law prohibiting pro-hibiting gambling in food supplies, ' Gov- ernor Harding declared. "Recently we had two days of warm wind from Kansas, and our big crop, corn, went up. The next day dew fell, and the price dropped. Now there was no more or no less corn during that period in Iowa. All ihat price manipulation was done in Chicago, and had nothing to do with the law of supply and demand." Shoup Outlines FJans. Governor Shoup of Colorado told what was being done in his state, and heartily indorsed the movement to bring about close co-operation between the states and the national government. Sometimes, ! however, Governor Shoup said, he feared that the high cost of living was confused with the cost of living high. One of the strongest addresses on the question was made by Governor Biekett of North Carolina., He expressed it as his opinion that the present friction between be-tween capital and labor is at the bottom of all the difficulties. It would be wrong, Governor Biekett said, for the government to place its seal of condemnation on the warehouse and storage facilities of the j country. These facilities are absolutely necessary, neces-sary, he said, and there should be no wholesale condemnation of them. In the south, he declared, business men were now endeavoring to develop necessary storage facilities for the cotton crop, which now must all be marketed in about ninety days. There is no economic rea- i son, he said, why cotton should sell for 20 cents in February and 35 cents in i July. Storage facilities, so that this crop could be held and released as required, . would do much to stabilize the cotton i market. The same is true, he asserted, i with other commodities. If storage facili- i ties were not abused. ! Farmers Have Question. Another serious question facing state and federal officials, he said, was that ; asked by the farmers. They are wanting to know, he said, why they are being called upon to speed up and increase production pro-duction to supply food and other necessities neces-sities for men who worked only eight hours a day, while it had been necessary for them to work from daylight to dark. Governor Biekett expressed his opinion much it would cost. But if enough taxes had not been raised, deficiency appropriations ap-propriations at the next legislature corrected cor-rected any errors. These appropriation acts were placed in various sections of the statutes and it required the most painstaking investigation to determine, if it was determinable at all, how much the government would cost. This method of financing government led to gross inefficiency ineffi-ciency and incompetency, and was a more prolific source of waste of 'public funds by graft or dishonesty in public office." Saving Is Effected. To introduce order into this chaos, Governor Gov-ernor Philipp wrote, the, budget system was installed. The paper went on to give In detail the methods of the new budget system in handling the various departments, depart-ments, and adds that the budget system has resulted in the saving of money to the people of the state. The legislature itself effects many savings, according to the paper, for it Is now in possession of the facts which enable it to make appropriation appro-priation closely in keeping with the services serv-ices to be performed. "The budget system tends to fix re-sponsibility re-sponsibility for the handling of public funds upon certain specific boards and officers. Through this fixing of responsibility respon-sibility greater economy and efficiency has resulted in the affairs of the state." .Savings are effected by preventing du-plit du-plit ation of work between departments, and by consolidations and reorganizations, in a ccord with a definite policy of the sta te. "In concluding this subject," says the parer, "I wish to state that we in Wisconsin Wis-consin believe that we have a budget system sys-tem that is serving our needs and result- (Continued on Page Ten.) that the friction between labor and capital capi-tal is the fundamental cause of the trouble. He spoke of the tremendous cost of the war with Germany, and added that industrial war is just as expensive as military war. He characterized the present methods of settling many industrial indus-trial disputes as industrial war, using brute force. "Through the war we have been en-, en-, gaged in trying to send brute force to . the scrap heap of civilization' Governor Biekett said. "Yet at the same time we 1 are trying to settle industrial disputes by brute force. Walkouts and lockouts are nothing but brute force, used to hammer or starve the other side into submission. Neither lockouts nor walkouts have any relation to wisdom and intelligence. The great problem to be solved is how to ! bring the man who works with his hands j and his head together with the man who I works with money and his head." ! Arbitration Urged. Men now are compelled individually by I law to bring their disputes before tribu-j tribu-j rials to settle them, even in matters which involved taking human life, he said. "If we can compel individuals to 1 submit their differences to courts, even : where their very lives are involved, why . shouldn't we compel aggregations of men ! to come in and submit their differences? For example, I am just as much inter-: inter-: ested in the running of a railroad as the ! largest stockholder, or as the man at the ! throttle. It is just as vital to me. Why, ! therefore, shouldn't these two, when they ' have differences, be compelled to submit I their questions and differences to arbl-; arbl-; tration? I "For centuries capital told labor that if labor did not like capital's terms, la-I la-I bor could go to hell. Now labor is in i about the position that capital was, and ! labor tells capital if it does not like the i terms offered it can go to hell. Power I is intoxicating, no matter who holds it, ! and there must be regulation. And mean-! mean-! time,' both labor and capital are giving ! heli to the business upon which we all must depend. This tremendous waste or I industrial warfare is at the bottom of the ' trouble, and means must be found to end it." Governor Burnquist said he was pleased at the action taken, because he had called a special session of the legislature to convene on September 8 to take up the Vhigh cost of living. By that time, he said, he wants a definite program for no-operation between the federal and state governments. Labor Troubles Are Less, In Arizona, Governor Campbell said, the food administration has been revived, as an organization to attack the problem. He spoke highly of the results of federal mediation of industrial disputes, in support sup-port of the arguments of Governor Biekett. As a result of this plan in Arizona. Ari-zona. ,he said, there had been no labor trouble and no walkouts or lockouts for eighteen months. Closing the discussion, Governor Allen of Kansas recommended the value of consumers' con-sumers' leagues, as organized in his state. He said he believed a large part of the trouble lav in the excessive profits of retailers. Through the formation of price committees in consumers' leagues it has been possible, he said, to ascertain what reasonable profits should be, and thus reduce excessive profits. These committees, he said, are investigating constantly what the retailer paid and what he charged. "And another cause which I believe we should not overlook," said Governor Allen, Al-len, "is the cohesive power of personal greed. I believe if we were to ask him who was 'without sin in this matter to cast the first stone, we could all go abroad without much danger to ourselves from the stones." Committees Appointed. Governor Allen appointed a committee on resolutions composed of Governors Shoup of Colorado, Harding of Iowa and Bamberger of Utah. He also appointed an auditing committee composed of Governors Gov-ernors Harding of Iowa, Frazier of North Pakota and Cooper of South Carolina. The latter committee was appointed at the request of Governor Boyle of Nevada, who is treasurer of the conference. Budget Plan Discussed. The morning session closed with the reading of a paper on the state budget system written by Governor Philipp of Wisconsin. Governor Philipp was unable to attend the conference. Miles C. Riley, secretary of the conference, read the paper. pa-per. Governor Philipp wrote, in part: "In the old cays, individual departments depart-ments and u urea us of departments had bills introduced into the legislature, financing their work. Every department was pressing forward its own appropriate appropria-te n. Some times several appropriation bills were in I rod u red covering the same subject. Public of i'ieers practically suspended sus-pended the operations of ti.eir offices during dur-ing the legislative sos.-ion, to ingratiate themselves w itii legislators. "A winning personality on the part of the nn Mle s-.-rv,in t was more important th:i.n pubdc service rendered and aernunt-ed aernunt-ed fur, and the pruspect (if even heifer 7Kihii: service. Xo one k new how much it was g'.:ng to cost to finance the govern gov-ern in :it during ti.o next fi.-ral period. Jv. t a a flcr t.'-.e lei-I.'ituie va.- over, it took a lun-z time to f!:i.i out r-:tetiv hnw Jones, n. H. Knslan. John M. Child, Man hi P. Brown, Abbot A. Hey wood, A. . Fell T D. Johnson, Valentino C.irteon, i A. At-eo. A. K. Vratt. W. L. Wattia. W. H. Vattls. J. M. I BrownhiK. 31. S. Urownlnir. John S. Lewis, (l J Mtilwell, 1.. W. Shui'lhtf. Joh.lj Watson. A. T. Wright. P. O. McKay. A. ,. Seville. W. H. Reader, Jr., D. lv. Roberts, Joseph M. Tracy. Thomas 10. lirownlnu. cr. A. graves, F Larson, Georite Shorten, allaeo Kouleer. Fred Taekard, W. J. Crltchlow, 11. C Peterson. Tlie Kev J. K. Carver, the Kev. John 1 Laftan. the ltev. Christian Garver, the Kev. (JocUrey -Matthews, the ltev. Kay Palmer, the Kev. John W. HyslOp. Frank .M. PrUgs, James H. Pouglas, Fi-ank Francis, J. U. Kldred--. Jr.. V . K. Zuppann, Fi nest Hpencer, V . 11. O'Bvrne, Alfred Gladwell. Frank Agnew, Sumner Nelson, C. J. Doon, H. L. Herrlngton, L. F. Knelpp, K. W Cannadv, John SnarRO, W. A. James, P T. Wright, John Culley, A. B. Foulger, G A. Nicholas, Charles carton, A. P. lliBelow, R. E. Bristol, F. O. Taylor W. H. Shearman, Gage Rodman, Frank Stevens, Ste-vens, W. Karl Hopkins, George Glen. H. yv Dunn, K. F. Kirkendall, A. It. Mc-Intyro, Mc-Intyro, John Taylor, J. W. Wilcox. depot by the local committee headed by Mayor T. S. Rrowning, city commissioners commission-ers and prominent ci t i:;;-ns. Automobiles will be provided and tho trin will be made about the city aid up Ogden canyon to the city wells. U pun the return trip the guests will be taken to the Hermitage Her-mitage shortly before 0 o'clock for the banquet. The following is the list of Ogden citizens who, with their wives, have been invited to the banquet: T. S. Browning, Cnris Flygare, M. L. GOVERNORS WILL HID COST FiSHT (Continued from rage Eight.) ing in savings to the taxpayers of the state." The budget system has been in effect in Wisconsin for eight vears. It is now being be-ing tried out for the first time in Utah financing, the first budget under the new budget law having been presented to the last legislature. Consolidation Is Theme. The discussion of the afternoon session was one of particular Interest and importance im-portance to the governors, though of less geenral interest because of its technical nature. "The Growth and Consolidation of Administrative Boards'' was the subject sub-ject of the afternoon. Governor S. R. McKelvie of Nebraska was the first to ' attack the problem in an address which he illustrated with diagrams, showing what has been accomplished in the simplification sim-plification of the administrative departments depart-ments in Nebraska through the application applica-tion of a system analagous to the cabinet form of administrative government. Governor McKelvie said, in part: "It is possible to conduct the business of the state on the same basis of efficiency effi-ciency as private business. State government govern-ment has long been handicapped by the lack of responsibility and by the absence of due proportion between authority and responsibility. The growth of the states has demanded an administrative expansion, expan-sion, which in some cases led away from the fixed responsibility of the early days. Government Simplified. "In Nebraska we have eliminated the cross purposes of tho confused administration adminis-tration under many boards, whose functions func-tions oftentimes overlapped. We have consolidated most of the business of the state under six departments, and have applied efficiency in this method by centralization. cen-tralization. We have attained centralization centraliza-tion of purchasing, have fixed on a method meth-od of property accountability, and arrived ar-rived at a unification of salaries in tho various departments of the state government. govern-ment. "Through our new department of agriculture agri-culture we have in Nebraska attained an economic co-operation of the farmers, which, I think, will go far towards helping help-ing solve the present problem of the high cost of living. "Through this department and the department de-partment of labor we expect to get the facts concerning profiteering In the state and we will give these facts to the people. peo-ple. The publicity which we intend to give to this matter will assist greatly during the present emergency. "The misinformation of the opponents oppo-nents of the bill which created the new system was the greatest obstacle against it which we had to overcome. And we largely eliminated the opposition bred by ignorance by a frank statement of what the bill was intended to accomplish. "It was necessary to draw successful men into the state administration, and that can only be done by giving them a real opportunity for great service to the state. This Is made possible under the changes which have been made in Nebraska Ne-braska administration. "This cabinet form of government does not encroach upon the constitution, for there are still existing the boards provided pro-vided for under that instrument. Our system is not perfect, and it is subject to improvement, which we hope to make; but it has been a great step in advance, and deserves the attention of the people for Its success." To Improve Plan. Following Governor McKelvIe's address, many of the other governors immediately bombarded him with questions, for his presentation of the subject stimulated their interest. In answer to a question by Governor Allen, Governor McKelvie said that the boards which had proved the most objectionable were those composed com-posed of elective members, for these had In most Instances functioned rather in the Interests of party politics than in the unqualified interests of the state. Governor Gardner proposed that the conference have the addresses .of Governors Gover-nors McKelvie and Davis published immediately imme-diately and sent broadcast through the nation, in order to give the greatest publicity pub-licity to the advances shown in these two states which have experimented with the consolidation of their administrative boards under a cabinet system. The address bv Governor Davis was read to the conference by Frank W. Brown, secretary to the Idaho governor. Mr. Brown also was asked questions concerning con-cerning the operations of the system in his state. Governor W. L. Harding of Iowa was the only one to speak in favor of the old system as compared with the new. He stated that many of the older states have already gone through tlie experimental ex-perimental stages and found the board system adequate. "The representative form of government," govern-ment," he said, "is not an economic scheme. It has more to do than to save dollars. There is danger in too much centralization. The government must carry tlie responsibility to the people, and make citizenship worth while. Efficiency of an office depends largely on the individual individ-ual holding it, after ail. "The politician I regard as one who can Interpret the heart beats of his neighbor and translate them into action." At the conclusion of the meeting a teelgram was read from Governor Hart of Washington in which he said that he has decided to call an extra session of the state legislature to ratify the suffrage suf-frage amendment to the constitution, and urged all tlie other governors at the conference con-ference to do likewise. Special to The Tribune. OGDF.N", Aug. 19. The veiling governors gover-nors will be the guests of Ogden City at a banquet to be given at 6 o'clock tomorrow night at the Hermitage hotel. The guests will arrive in Ogden at 4 o'clock. They will be met at the interurban |