The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-08-08
PEOPLE CLAMOR
FOR LOWER PRICES
MANY LAWMAKERS AT WASH
lNGToN ARE HEARING FROM
HOME ABOUT THE HIGH
COST OF LIVING.

| Washington. Aug. S.-The high cos
OF living is becoming live topi'
again. Much OF the mail that come
to members of congress daily deal
with the subject Constituents o.
senators and representatives are, say
ing that IL the legislative body car
do anything To bring prices OF tho
necessaries Of life down IL ought To dc
it, Among pubnc men there is very
general agreement that the topic vii
be to the front in the presidential
campaign next year
James Wilson. secretary Of agricul
ture. has come forward with the sus-
gestion that every large municipality
ought to take up the cost of living
problem, He thinks the problem Of re-
ducing the cost of living is one that
must be settled by municipalities. Fed
eral legislation can he declares at
DO but little toward bringing prices
down. The secretary Is trying 10 per-
suade the leading citizens Of the ma
tional capital to get behind an inquiry
here as to why things people have TO
buy are so high. He has a notion that
If Washington would conduct an in
vestigation that resulted in obtaining
cheaper foods for the people other
cities would soon become interested
Secretary Wilson suggests the Pres
ident appoint a commission To study
the situation i'm the city of Washing
ton. The president has indicated that
he is willing To carry out the sugges-
ton of his secretary Of agriculture If
the people of Washington will indi-
cate that they really want such an in
vestigation made.
lone of the most pitiful things OF
modern times" said Secretary Wilson,
lis the manner i'm which the poor OF
the large cities are beaten down by
the prices which prevail at this time
The prices are such that no man work.
ing for ordinary wages can meet them.
They are beyond the pocketbooks or
the poor, and there Is nothing that
gives the poor any protection from
them. This condition undoubtedly pre-
walls in nearly every city. 1t should
be investigated. The farmer does not
get one-half the price the consumer
pays. Many persons are inclined to
place the blame for high price on the
farmers, but as a matter of fact the
farmers are not benefited by the high
prices. \ few middlemen, selected in
dividuals who step in between the far
mer and the consumer are the per-
sons who reap the benefit"
Secretary Wilson believes this is a
which cities alone can rem
edy. He thinks if this is true, ana
he believes it is true and that some-
where between the farmer and the
consumer in the city are individuals
who are making too large profit on
the stuff the farmers produce, il is
the duty of a municipality to find out
who these persons are and To put a
stop to the overcharging. There are
IN every city a large number of broad
minded, public-spirited citizens says
The secretary. "As a rule men of this |
description do not, | fear grasp the
fact that this question of the cost
IF living is a municipal problem. 1t is
lime that such men took up this sub
ect and devised a way TO reduce gem
rally the scale of food prices. When
hey shall have mastered this subject
hey will have solved one of the great
problems of the century. |
The distribution Of farm products
rom the farm to the consumer is elab-
,rately organized much involved and |