OCR Text |
Show II. S. PRONOUNCED f "ROBBjnOOST'i Senator Capper; of Kansas Charges Open, Scandalous, Shameless Iv Profiteering. ARRAIGNS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE IN U. S. SENATE I' Submits Figures Which Show That In One Year Earnings of Amcr-k Amcr-k . N ican Corporations Rose From 33 i' to 84 Billions of Dollars. Washington, April 23 Profiteers were denounced today in the Senato by Scnntor Capper. Republican. Kansas, Kan-sas, who presented statistics whioh, "ho said showed that tho earnings of many American corporations represented repre-sented profiteering, "open, scandalous and Bhameless." the country, ho said wes becoming a robbers roost. Senator Capper attacked the department de-partment of justice's meat campaign and said increased prices for sugar were "the most brazen challenge wo have had in this saturnalia of greed." Senator Lcnroot, Republican, Wis., agreed with the Kansas Senators declaration that profiteering had become be-come a national menace, said Attorney Attor-ney Palmer was "setting a few mouse traps around the country when he ought to bo setting bear traps" to catch the big or millionaire profiteers. The administration was held responsible respon-sible by Senator Lenroot for the in- creasing sugar prices. Disagreement with the contentions of senators Capper and Lenroot was erprcssed'by Senator Thomas, Democrat, Demo-crat, Colorado, who said the senators were "complaining about conditions instead of causes, like a child who tumbles over a chair and then turns around and kidks it." --'- Would Jafl Them. Senator, Capper said ample laws existed to check profiteering, and that "if those charged with enforcement of these laws uould see that profit hogs are sent to jail prices will soon tumble." He added that if law enforcement en-forcement oflkcrs of the government I could not enforce tho statutes they should resign and let men who could take their places. Excossivemargins of profit are proof of profiteering, Senator Capper said, in presenting a list of corporations corpor-ations whose profits were placed at from 20 to 200 per cent Tho list of such corporations included textile manufacturing concerns, steel com- panies, shoe and leather manufacturers manufac-turers and makers of nenrly all the staple commodities. Farmers were acquitted of blame by tho Senator. Proof of Profiteering. Declaring that tho proof of profiteering profit-eering was in the margin of profit the scnntor said that in one year alone during the war the gross income in-come of American corporations rose V" ,y from 33 1-3 billions to 84 Vj billions. f . Ho read to the Senate a long list of corporations whose profits were placed at anywhere from 20 to 200 "ft per cent. J "Wall street's melon pntches," he W declared, "continue to be wnrmed by i ' 3 the sun ofpviviligc, fertilized by the i ' $ perspiration of labor, and watered by -' the tears of poverty, and this year will raise a record breaking crop free from the blight of income taxes, while tho people are being urged to buy their coal early and bo robbed for less, to abstain from steak one day a week and to purchase was sav-. sav-. ings stamps that the United States may live in nine-billion style on a six-billion income. , "Hrazcn Challenge." 'r "At tnis moment the most brazen "t, . chalenge we have had in this sntur- .' nalia of greed comes from the gam-Pt gam-Pt biers in sugar. A corner has ovidont- sk ly been formed right under the eyes of tho department of justice. The a X canning season raid is on. For years 3 the sugar interests havo annually and openly and shamelessly robbed American housewives during the can-Ifning can-Ifning season. V "Those patriotic melon raisers, -3vho have made their millions and Jf -Tbillions during and since the war," JKvVaid Senator Capper, "now are urging that tho soldier's bonus be raised by al per cent tax on sales to be paid on every dollar spent by every man V- woman and child in the country, in- , , eluding the ex-service men them- '- - selves. Mr. President, I shnll favor i placing this tnx where it belongs on J war profits and taking from these JT huge stock dividends, from excess ;. war profits, and from tho profiteers nil that is needful to compensate the : men who sacrificed themselves in t stead of their country, or their countrymen in time of war. Prices Still Soaring. "During tho coal strike, while zero cold and privation threatened tho price of crude oil shot up nearly V 300 per cent and is still rising." . Tho scnntor cited numerous corporations corpor-ations which, ho declared, had made enormous profits, and then turned to ,1 agriculture. ' "Our greatest industry nrgicul-ture nrgicul-ture tied hand and foot has been made tho victim of speculation and profiteers. "It is wrong to assume becauso extravagance ex-travagance flaunts itself In our cities cit-ies that plenty exists in all tho homes of tho land. People who havo never known want or privation are living today in tents instead of houses; thousands of men, women nnd children chil-dren are compelled to do without necessary nec-essary shoes and clothing, if not fuel and certain articles of food." 4 |