Show GOMPERS DEMANDS OF I CONGRESS r I r il of f L. L Chieftain Flays ys a. a jJ Failure of Check i K P Profiteering ring IJ WASHINGTON w ASHINGTON May 24 By 24 By the Associated s d. d The The American Fed f f n. n of ot L Labor bor 1 has s Issued Issued issue its Us expected expected expected ex ex- ex- ex call to the electorate for an iq In congress Under the signature of ot President Gompers the current Issue of ot othe the he American the official official cial organ carries an Indictment of ot congress and the executive departments departments depart depart- ments merits for Incompetence on on the cost the cost ost of ot living Issue and outlining ii a pro pro program gram rim ot of deep cutting measures measures dolares' dolares de- de lares' lares J There rh re must be an overturn in con con- gress gress Enemies must be be defeated friends must be elected IT ITEMIZES HUGE PROFITS f 0 Presenting an item ed cd l list list of or corporation cor cor- or- or profits similar to to that re recently recently re- re Gently Introduced d In ina a speech by Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Capper of ot Kansas Mr l G Gompers declares declares declares de de- clares that while twenty-one twenty enumerated enumerated enumerated corporations last vast year received profits averaging per cent above normal the average cyst of living In increased in- in creased cr a d 96 per cent and the average union wage 55 per cent r The e deep cutting measures which Mr Gompers writes will be necessary to guard the nations nation's distributing machinery machinery machinery ma ma- chinery against assaults from the pirat pirates pi pirates pi- pi rat rates s of trade and commerce follow Immediate adjustments of wages both in private employment and In ingo go government service to at least meet th the living costs that have outstripped I Incomes by reason of this era of frenzied frenzied frenzied fren fren- profiteering and gambling Immediate effective action to prevent prevent pre pro vent continued Increases In the cost of living RAILROAD BILL RAPPED An Art end nd to the tho kind of legislation typified d by the Esch Esch Cummins Cummins railroad railroad rail rall- road law and the Kansas court of industrial in industrial in- in rel relations law There must be bean an ane end d of legislative repression re restrIction restriction restriction re- re and coercion Not only must there be an end to the enactment of 1 legislation of ot this character but there must be a repeal of ot legislation already enacted The congress will do well to give immediate and affective consideration to tei the proposal of the American labor laboi ni movement that control of credit capital capital capi tal be taken from private financiers and placed In the hands of a public trust to be administered upon principles pIes pies ples voluntary and coop cooperative Inch in ch character This will strike a vital plow Mow toward eliminating th the buses abuses of o profiteering and exploitation PUBLICITY FOR INCOME TAX Congress should provide immedi Immediately Immedi for publicity for income tax lax re returns re- re turns There must be Immediate steps to toward to toward ward equalization of wages and cost qt of living and effective steps to prevent a anew new margin from replacing th the one i j to be dissolved This means that there I must must be a 8 permanent remedy for the high cost of living The working people fo fa the United States continues Mr Gompers are speaking In mandatory terms If those In control of the legislative destinies of ot the country do not understand the I needs of the workers at least the thew w workers themselves understand They I I know w the restraint which they have practiced They know the limit to their endurance Their demand to be heard is a demand which comprehends the welfare of the country CONGRESS SLIGHTS WILSON president resident Wilson proposed measures for relief Mr Gompers writes but c congress gave no heed and since the signing of ot the armistice the American Amert- Amert can can CM political and Industrial Bourbons laid a source of ot plunder restriction and coercion The rec recent nt strike of railway men Mr Gompers characterized characterized character character- zed as a of ot what is the matter matter mat mat- ter with America Their methods he deplores as a's as foredoomed to failure and In contravention of the discipline of the trades union movement but he argues their appeals for relief from Increased living costs were of f long longstanding longstanding standing and that they suffered postponement postponement post p n ment after postponement PROFITEERING I Mr Gompers devotes some of his statements t to specific cases of profiteering profit and gambling Aside from the I Increased ased corporation profits listed he gives these Illustrations derived from authentic sources a A Chicago speculator bought a J quantity of webbing and without h hav hay hay- vIn v- v In ing seen seen It or having haying any knowledge of ot its nature or use sold it at it a profit of of A carload of ot live chickens chickens' shipped to Chicago from Omaha was returned eventually to Omaha and sold In the retail market after passing through eleven hands all of which levied a atoll atoll toll of profit ANew A New York warehouse broker buyIng buy buy- 1 Ing inga a warehouse receipt for several 1 thousand yards ards of oP silk sold it at a profit of He performed no I service In getting It from producer er 1 1 I to o consumer writes Mr Gompers He bought ought a piece of ot paper and sold it It if congress h had d seen fit to respond to o the wishes of ot the president writes VIr 11 Mr Gompers and enact some of the thel legislation l suggested sugg by him it would have bave lave b been en possible to curb at least to o some extent this his unlicensed plundering plundering dering In the necessities necessities' of off life Ufe For congress engross to rte deny that relief relle is possible is s for congress to confess the incompetency of which the evidence convicts it It Attorney General r Palmer does des not escape attack The attorney general Mr 4 Gompers Gom Gom- pers ers writes s. s has found it possible ible to ct corner groc grocers rs and arid small hab haberdashers haber- haber r- r dashers ashers for offenses which are of at no moment at all in comparison comparison- to to the whole situation He has found jound U pos pos- Vile to to advise the people to eat the po poorer looker r cuts of of meat He found It pos possible to do a number of ineffective things thinks but hut seems to have bey be- be y nd his capac capacity to do effective i things i I. I Neither do the courts escape the indictment in indictment in in- Mn In Gompers draws for congress congress congress con con- gress and the executive departments The courts he says Bays bring their a as assistance assistance as- as to those who have so ably been plundering the people ci citing ng the tho Supreme court decision which held stock dividends not as Income |