Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-12-19

The Utah man probably thinks as
the Democrats do. that the tariff law
has not yet had a chance to prove
anything in a price way. because 1t
has been in operation such compare
lively short time, but a political op-
portunity ought not be lost even II II
comes in connection with holiday
supposed to be devoted to prayer and
praise. At any rate, the Republicans
of course, do not think that there is
much occasion for thanksgiving In
days of Democratic supremacy.
Blames Cold Storage.
Representative McKellar of Tennes-
see, who is a Democrat, is one or
the leading proponents of the cause
of the investigation into the high
price matters generally. The Ten
nesseean apparently thinks that
the cold storage houses are re-
sponsible in large part for the ad-
vanced cost of many food products.
Mr.. McKellar's thought is in no wise
new. The cold storage question has
been discussed in congress and out of
it time after time 1t is believed, ap-
parently, by all of those who suspect
the cold storage plants of boosting
tHc PilSc VI tuiii6o, thest siAS
cost is an almost forbiddingly high one
because SO much money has been put
out in intermediate transactions. This
question will be gone into speclhcally
by the Democratic board of inquiry,
if it gets authorization to go to work.
congressman, and others, too, for
that matter, have been told that men
go through the country districts In
the spring buying up eggs for say IA
cents a dozen; that these eggs are
then turned over to dealer for say
l6 cents, who turns them over to an
other dealer, a storage man, on u
small scale, for an advanced price,
and he finally turns them over to the
big concerns which can afford to hold
them for seven or eight months, and
sell them for three or four times their
original cost.
OF course the Democratic inquiry
will concern itself with other things
than eggs. Butter, beef, vegetables
and fruit are higher today than ever
they have been and the housewife
does not find it necessary to read such
a government report as that published
recently to prove that providing
breakfast, luncheon and dinner for
the family is costly operation. To-
day they are selling three fairly good
apples in Washington for 20 cents.
This was the price of peck of ap-
pies not many years ago. Other
things in proportion as the man said
who was sitting down to breakfast
alone. ordered two pound steak.
The desire to rest is just as
strong with the president as II
is with any member of congress ~
Wilson wants to get away from [kh
ington, and so does every man 'rHA4&
big hill. from the speaker down to th@-t
smallest page boy in either house.
vice-President Marshall has had a va
cation and a good many of the repre-
sentatives have taken theirs without
leave" The president, however. has
had to curb his longings. for he
learned through many years as pupil
and as a teacher how to stay in after
hours.
New Years Reception Cancelled.
The New Years reception, the only
great wholly public reception of the
year at the White House. has been
done away with by executive order. or
what is equivalent to such an order.
The President is tired out and he Is
going south to spend a part of the
holiday season If congress takes a re-
cess. The canceling of this White
House reception led to a good deal of
comment. but there is nothing definite
to prove that a reception may not be
held next year. Many presidents want
ed to do away with these receptions,
but none of them has felt that he was
justified in cutting out the function
on the one day of the year when all
people without special invitations
could come in to shake the hand of
| the chief executive and to catch
| glimpse of the glories of the interior
of the great house.
At one time the president thought
of going to Panama during the Christ
mas holidays, but this plan has been
given over because the Panama trip,
if he wanted to see the canal in all
its parts. would probably consume
three weeks and to take so much time
would keep him away from Washing
liberations of the lawmakers.
Some of the Democrats in congress
are rancorous enough to say that If
MI w IsOll Hdu hol Dteh at lle outset
in such a schoolmaster mood about
getting the currency bill passed the
measure would have gone through long
ago. The ''mean-minded ones" meant
that their colleagues were resentful of
the presidents methods and that the
delay in currency was the natural re-
suit of the resentment. In other
words. dragging out the hearings and
putting drags on the wheels were due
not so much to a disinclination on the