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Show THE CITIZEN 8 PILLA GING THE THAT the administration at while raising a ferocious din about high prices and profiteers, adopted a policy which inflated prices and profits not impress itself upon the people because the facts percolated to them, as it were, only drop by drop. These facts, when assembled, make an astounding exhibit of administrative inefficiency, to use no harsher term. Some of the 20,000 or 25,000 new millionaires produced by the war owe their wealth to the mad waste of the war department. Millions of tons of materials and goods which could have been shipped home to relieve a shortage and bring down the level of prices were sold at 2b per cent of the cost price to the French government which was given ten years in which to pay. At home orders were placed for three or four times the amounts needed to supply the army and, after the signing of the armistice, this swollen surplus was held out of the markets on the plea that it was dangerous to disturb industrial conditions. What was meant by disturbing industrial conditions was revealed by Colonel A. M. Davis, director of stor- age, quartermaster corps of the war department, when he was called before the committee of congress investigating war expenditures. It was Colonel Davis who wrote a letter to Frank Gerber, president of the National Canners Association, assuring him that there need be no alarm about the report that the government would place 200,000,000 cans of vegetables on the market. His letter was as follows: Mr. Dear. Gerber: Your letter H. of March 15 to Major-GenerJ. Rogers has been delivered to me for reply. I am glad to be able to relieve your mind on the subject of any surplus canned vegetables to be dumped on the maral ket. Acting along lines suggested by you, canned peas, corn, squash and string beans will be added to the ration list, which has always contained tomatoes. This will entirely dispose of your stock and eliminate surplus. I trust this letter will relieve your mind and those of your associates in the canners association. Yours very truly, A. M. DAVIS. Colonel, Quartermaster Corps, Director of Storage. Called before the investigating committee, Colonel Davis explained that the government did not wish to disturb industrial conditions. In this connection the following extract from the testimony is absorbing: Mr. Reavis That is, you mean that the American people would have no opportunity of buying this surplus? Colonel Davis That is the point exactly. Mr. Reavis And that was done to protect the canners? U. S. Colonel Davis Yes, sir. The amazing significance of this testimony is that the federal officials were holding food and trying to sell it in Europe in order NOT TO RE- PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES. At a time when the people were clamoring for government aid to prevent prices from going higher the government committed itself to a policy certain to inflate prices and produce profiteers. DUCE Last summer and fall the shortage of sugar in the country was so acute that this commodity was selling on the markets for 20 cents a pound and today it is selling for 25 and 30 cents and, in some few places, for 35 cents. And not only were the people subjected to the harJship of high sugar prices but they were placed on rations and even at this time the shortage is such that grocers will sell only a few pounds of sugar to each customer. In view of these conditions it is interesting to recall that during last summer and fall the war department sold 22,000,000 pounds of sugar in France at two cents a pound rather than disturb industrial conditions by shipping the product to this country and placing it on the market. When the armistice was signed our government had in France foodstuffs, textiles, clothing, automobiles and other supplies of an approximate value of $2,000,000,000. These were sold to the French government for $400,000,- 000, or 20 per cent of their real value, on long term payments. Had they been transported to this country they would have relieved a shortage and prices for clothing, textiles, foodstuffs and automobiles would have been lowered at that time and probably wnuld be lower today than they are. The memory of the people is not so short but that they will remember one of the disclosures of last year regarding foodstuffs held until they spoiled. The evidence taken by the committee on war expenditures shows that 2,000,-00- 0 pounds of ham were allowed to spoil in the governments storage places in Baltimore and 1,497,000 pounds of bacon were destroyed in the same way at Norfolk, Va. While the government adhered to its folly prices were constantly soaring and the complaints of the people at the intolerable cost of living had become a nation-wid- e chorus. The testimony shows that this enormous quantity of foodstuffs amounted to approximately 40 per cent of all the foodstuffs in the United States. That figure, standing out in all its appalling sailiency, is enough, in itself, to. demonstrate that had the surplus foodstuffs of the government been placed on sale in this country the price of food would have been reduced to a reasonable level and that the chief element in the high cost of living would have been eliminated. The administrations apologists keep By iterating that war is waste. It is a slogan the department heads agreed upon and in which they have schooled themselves so that they may have some excuse to offer in the face of the amazing revelations. They plead that under the stress of war it is impossible to prevent waste, but the com- mittees evidence shows that most of the foodstuffs were dissipated and that millions of dollars were wasted after the war had ended. When the armistice was signed vre had 3,700,000 men under arms. For this force the war department ordered leather goods which would have required more hides than the total of all hides produced in the United States, a country of more than inhabitants. The war department had for the use of the army 391,-00- 0 horses and mules. The records 100,-000,0- 00 F P. Gallagher reveal that the department ordered 945,000 saddles and 1,000,000 sets of double harness. It purchased 1,637,197 horse brushes, 2,029,418 nose feed bags, 1,148,364 horse covers and 2,850,-85- 3 halters which was enough for more than 2,000,000 horses at one time. All of this equipment was ordered for 391,-00- 0 horses. The shortage of hides in the country last year was something of a mystery. There were many conflicting reports, but the foregoing figures help to explain. The governments holdings of leather and its contracts for leather goods were far in excess of what was needed for the army and the surplus was withheld from those factories which supplied the civilian demand. When we read such facts and figures we can understand a little of what seemed to us so mysterious about (Continued on Page 22.) A Super Value Offering Especially Timely For Graduation Blue Serges, Cheviots and Unfinished Worsted Suits. Every mans wardrobe should contain a blue suit. Nothing can take its place as a dress suit. Further, its the most economical suit you can buv. 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