Show WOULD EXTEND I WAR L j- j OF All FOOD f That and Provis of Penalties for Profiteering Advocated r i by the President FORCE SALE S LE OF SURPLUS the In 1 Address a ress to the Congress Congress the Chief Ex Ex- M Makes kes' kes Assertion That We Are With Very Grit Crib i eaf caf and Difficult Matters I Ir r r Washington Addressing Addressing congress I end and proposing remedies to check the Sigh high cost of living I resident president Wilson declared existing laws were made made- Inadequate quate equate and high prices were not justl- justl tt ed by shortage of supplies present or prospective but were created In Inmany inmany many cases ases artificially a and d deUber- deUber deliberately by vicious practices spoke He spoke practically as follows 1 Gentlemen men of or the Congress j jI I sought ht this op opportunity rt to toad ad dress you because It Is clearly my mv duty to call yourl your attention to the present cost of living and to urge upon you with all aU force of or which I 11 am capable lel the Ithe legislative measures which would be bel effective In controlling It and ana bring tag ing It down The prices the people of this country y are spaying for everything that It Is s necessary them to use In order to Hive lUve are not by a shortage in supply either present or prospective and are age In inmany many cases cues artificially and deU deliberately created by vicious practices which ought Imme to be checked by law Profiteers ers Lawbreakers La re ke Some of the methods by toy which these I prices are produced are already Illegal megal some of or them criminal anti ana those who employ them will be energetically tlc Uy proceeded proceeded proceeded pro pro- against But others have not have not yet been brought under the law lawand and mid sho should ld be dealt with at once bY tov le With the Increase e In the prices of or the necessaries of life Ure come demands demands' for In Increases increases In- In creases In wages wages demands which are Justified If It there be beno no other ther means of or enabling men to live five Upon the Increase ot or wages wages' there follows follows follows fol fol- lows close lose an sn Increase in the price e of or the products whose producers have e been accorded ac accorded accorded ac- ac corded the Increase not increase not a proportionate Increase for the manufacturer does not content himself wit that but an In Increase Increase increase In- In crease considerably greater eater than the added wage cost and tK ni for tor wl which ch the added wage cost is oftentimes times hardly more than an excuse The laborers laborer who do ao donot wet not not an Increase In pay when they demand loft lit are likely to strike and t the strike only makes matters matter mat mat- ter terl worse It checks production If It affects the railways It prevents distribution and strips the markets that markets so that there Is presently presently presently pres pres- nothing nothing- to buy and nd there Is la another excessive addition prices to-prices resulting from the scarcity Conditions Not Natural These are facts fad and forces with which we we have become only oily too familiar but we are not Justified our familiarity Tamil famil Sanity with them or because of or any hasty and shallow shaDow conclusion that they are natural natura and Inevitable In lin sitting sitting- Inactively Inactively inactively Inac Inac- by and letting them ahem work their fatal fatal fa ra- tal bl results If It there is e anything that we can cati do to check correct or reverse them We must I think frankly admit that there Is no complete immediate remedy to be had from legislation and executive action The tree free Iee processes df Of supply and demand will not operate of lor themselves and no legislative er Cor x executive action can can an force them into f uH And natural operation until there Is peace Must Know Terms mf If There can be DO confidence In Industry Industry industry Indus Indus- try try- no calculable basis tor tOT er credits no confident buying of systematic selling no certain prospect prospect- of f employment no normal restoration Of ct business no hopeful attempt at reconstruction n or a proper reassembling reassembling- of f t the dl dislocated located elements of or enterprise until peace has been established and 00 eo o daras as may be guaranteed Our national life ure ha has no doubt been less r radically disturbed and di dismembered than the national life lire of or other peoples whom the war WillI more more directly dl- dl affected with all U Its terrible ravaging and destructive force Joree but it has been nevertheless profoundlY affected affected affected af af- and disarranged and our Industries Industries Indus Indus- tries our credits our our capacity ca ca- ca our economic processes are In Inextricably In- In Interwoven with those of or ori k i other nations and p peoples peoples most most ost Intimately intimately Inti inti- l of all with the nations peoples peo- peo r rl ples upon whom the chief burden and confusion of the war fell tell and antl who are ire now most dependent upon 11 the cooperative operative action of or the world t Exports Greatest In History ty g W We are just now shipping more mare goods tA d- dout out ut of or our ports to foreign markets than we ever shipped before not before not foo foodstuffs I of very ewe merely but stuffs and materials I sort but this Is no Index of or what our i foreign sales will continue to be or of or I tr the effect the volume of our exports exports' y will have ibave on on supplies and prices es It t Is impO Impossible yet to n predict edict how far tar or t. t how holy long ion foreign purchasers will be beI beable I able to 00 find the money or the credit to toJ 1 J Day ay ay for lor or sustain such purchases on onI 1 I such ouch sucha a scale how soon or to what extent their l foreign manufacturers can resume t former production foreign farmers farmer get thel their accustomed crops from their own fields foreign mines resume their former output foreign merchants set setup et up again their old oid machinery of or trade with the ends of the earth All these things must remain uncertain until peace Is la established 6 lashed and the nations of or the world have nave concerted the methods by which normal life lire and industry are to be restored the meantime meantime mean mean- All that we shall do in f time to restrain profiteering and put the life lire of or our people upon a tolerable footing will be makeshift and provisional provi There can be no settled condi condl- condition I tion here or er elsewhere until the treaty of or peace is out of ot the way and the become be- be i work of or liquidating the war has tome come the chief concern of or our govern gover government government t 0 ofA or of orthe governments ment and of the other A the world cannot recoup her will wui Europe not y or put 1 ut tv er restless distracted peoples peoPle to W work r k until ly Wh where ere sh she ahe knows exactly exact exact- ct- ct tand stands Peace pea ceo and 1 ln in respect to and What the Wet w we will WI d do ls Is tor fOr her etude tude of qUestion mind upon pon which hr her hru quietude qui qui- u pose dO depends and confidence or of f purpose pur- pur a. a While et there ere re is B that th the e T any pos- pos Chab r peace CB terms may be benee or r may mav LI y h be bej heM held cla long ns In once nee ce fir r may n abey- abey or of divisions I o not be enforced o l because s or of or o pow pow- ors ers nil among JP ne the powers pow pow- 1 idle e to look oi for against Germany it i Is Immediate or n Pe permanent relief n By t f Relict ReHer Me Measures ures way wr of I immediate me late relief stocks of b both 0 food sun surplus 1 bands j an and 1 clothing In the theof theor of ot th the e e of or cou course self rt melt will Wl be sold eold and is III no profit sold Olin And at by prices y at which there way oT 01 a more manent permanent per per- stocks In to correction Wl hands ads o or of will prices price surplus of be drawn out stora storage e and put upon P n the market Fortunately For Por- tUn 1 ct ac act und the oer r the hi terms of ot the food con hoarding boarding or of be b. foodstuffs can checked ke sad be b with t the e prevented and they will greatest energy Foodstuffs ca can be drawn I legal gal galbe action out ot of storage OraBe and sold by byj justice j wm Will ins institute which t the th department t of or orb b but t wherever necessary as soon as the situation Is ca ly dealt with It Is riot not likely that the courts will often orten Much ucb or of the have to be resorted to no dOUbt acCumulating or of stocks has been due to the I sort or of tattoo lation Which speculation always results from t rom Would Have PrIces PlaInly Marked 1 would also recommend that it be beI that t aU all goods destined in- in I overstate for foOl In- In commerce should In every case I where their I Possible form or package package makes makes It be plainly marked with the price I at which they left the hands or of the he het producer Such a I would bear a close analogy 40 certain provisions or of the pure food act It t I Is required that formation formation Certain Detailed information In- In H be given on the labels of or Packages of or foods roods and drugs And It d does es not seem to m me that we no could confine ourselves to detailed measures of or this thU kind it if It lit Is indeed our of Dr purpose to assume aSSUm s national n control control the processes Of or distribution I t take ir i It for granted that that is our purpose and our duty Nothing less Jess will suffice surnce We need vu not ot to handle a national question In a national na na- na- na way We should go beyond the measures I have suggested We tWe should formulate a law requiring a federal license or of aU alt corP corporations ratI ns engaged In interstate o commerce and anil embodying In Jn the license o or r Jn In the toe condl conditions ns under which It Is to be Issued specific regulations regulations regu regu- lations designed t to secure competitive selling and prevent unconscionable profits In the method of or marketing Law Would Do Such a law would afford oR a welcome op opportunity opportunity op- op to effect other needed much re reforms reforms re- re forms In the business of or Interstate ship ment t and In the methods is of r corporations which are en engaged ed ag-ed in lit but for tor the moment moment mo mo- ment I 1 confine my recommendations to the object Immediately in hi hand haDd which is to lower the cost C ot of living JIving We are dealing d gentlemen of or the congress congress con con- gress gress- gressI I need hardly say with very critical and very difficult matters We should go forward with confidence along the road we see see but we should should also also seek to comprehend comprehend com com- nd the Whole of or the scene amidst which w we act ct There is Js no ground for some of or the fearful forecasts I hear uttered uttered ut ut- about me sue but the condition of the world Is unquestionably very grave and We wa ShO should ld face It The situation of our own country Is fortunate We of or all peoples can afford to keep our heads and to determine determine de de- de- de termine upon moderate and sensible courses of r action which will Insure us against the passions and ropers which are working such deep for tor some of the distressed d nations on the theother theother theother other side of vf the sea But we may anay be Involved In their distresses distresses distresses dis dis- dis- dis tresses unless we h help IP and help with energy en en energy ergy and Intelligence Disregarding the surplus stock In the hands hands' of the government there was a greater supply ot or foodstuffs In this co country country coun coun- n- n try on on June 1 of or this year than at the same date i last st year Tear In Jn the combined to total total total to- to tal of or a number of or the most Important foods In dry nfl a-nfl aon cold storage the excess Is quite 19 l' per cent And yet prices have risen Law Department Active The attorney general has been making a careful study Hof the situation as a whole and of the laws that can be applied applied applied ap ap- ap- ap plied to better it 11 and Is convinced that under the stimulation and temptation of or exceptional circumstances combinations cf or producers and combinations of or traders have been formed for the control of or supplies supplies supplies sup sup- plies and of or prices which are clearly In n restraint of or trade and against these prosecutions prosecutions prosecutions pros pros- will will willbe be be promptly Instituted and actively pushed which will in all likelihood likelihood hood nood have a prompt corrective effect t. t There is reason to believe that the prices of or leather of or eoa coal of lumber and of tex textiles tiles have been materially affected by forms of or concert and co operation co-operation among the producers and marketers of or these and other universally necessary commodities which it will be possible to redress No watchful or energetic effort will be spared to accomplish this this' necessary result result re re- sult suIt I trust that there will not be many cases In which pros prosecution will be necessary sary Public action will no doubt cause many who have perhaps unwittingly adopted Illegal megal methods to abandon them promptly and of or their own tIn motion The department of or commerce the department of or agriculture the department department depart depart- I ment of or labor and the ted federal ral trade commission can do a great deal toward supplying the public systematically I and nd at t short Intervals with information tion regarding the actual supply of or particular commodities that is In ex ex- existence e existence and available with r regard gard to supplies which are in existence but hut not I with regard to the to-the the methods of or price fixing fixIng fix fix- Ing which are being used by dealers deders in certain foodstuffs end other necessities Retailers In Part to Blame There can be little doubt that retailers retailers retail retail- ers are In par part sometimes pars sometimes in large part responsible part responsible for exorbitant prices price i and It Is quite practicable for fOor the government gov- gov govI I eminent through the agencies I have mentioned to supply the public with full rull Information as to the tho prices at which retailers buy and as aa to the costs of or transportation they I pay a in order that It may be bt known Just what margin margin margin mar mar- gin of or profit they are demanding OpinIon Opinion Opinion ion and concerted n ed action on the part of or purchasers can probably do the rest Let me urge In to the first place that the present foodstuff control act should hould be be extended both a as to the period of or time during which It shall remain in operation and as to the c commodities to which It shall apply t L LUs Us Its provision against hoarding should hould be made to apply not only to food rood but also alsoto alsoto alsoto to feed teed stuffs to fuel ruel to clothing and to many other commodities which are In Indisputably Indisputably indisputably In- In disputably necessaries of t life lite As It U stands now It Is limited In operation to the period of or the war and becomes In Inoperative Inoperative inOperative In- In operative upon the formal proclamation of or peace But I should Judge that It wu was clearly within the constitutional power of I Ithe Ithe the congress to make similar permanent I provisions and regulations with regard to all goods destined for Interstate commerce commerce commerce com com- merce and to exclude them from Interstate interstate Inter Inter- Interstate state shipment If It the requirements of or the law are not compiled complied with Some such regulation Is Imperatively necessary It would materially add to the |