Tensas gazette., 1913-06-27
PROFITS OF THE MIDDLEMAN
Should Be Regulated by Government
Laws Same as Freight Rates Are
lis Public Servant.

The railroads are under the control
of the national interstate commerce
commission empowered to regulate
passenger and freight rates. The Su-
premo court has declared that the
government rightfully possesses this
authority. This is, believe, upon the
theory that the roads are public serV'
ants. writes Louis c. Kill in the Dem
yer Field and Farm. Upon the same
theory why is the middleman not
public servant and why should not
the distribution of our food products
be placed under government regu-
lation? The government regulates
freight rates and why should the gov
ernment not regulate the profits OF
the middleman? Why should not the
government step in and help the mid
dleman by eliminating some OF the
evil practices now prevailing, like
unnecessary delivery costs, unsound
credits and the like, which evils the
retail dealer now has to put up with
because it is common practice?
The retailer under existing condi-
tions is not permitted to try to reg
ulate under the fear that he will be
construed under the law as combining
to break the antitrust laws. Why
should not the government aid this
poor, helpless business man when the
laws of the government forbid that he
should help himself? Possibly the reg
ulation of the middleman, the middle
mans profits and the middleman's
methods by the government might not
be permissible under our present con-
stitu'ion; if so, why not amend It!
The national government should not.
of course, do the regulating, because
the retail business is not in the main
interstate business, but the national
government could empower the diner-
ent states with the right, if the states
have not already that right, and 1t
could be done by constitutional amend
ment or otherwise.
The regulation should guarantee to
tho retail dealer a reasonable prott
on everything he sells, should protect
him against the unreasonable demands
of consumers, and should make 1t i'm
perative thatsh he blacklist the dead
beat who has stuck one of his com
petitors, providing credit is extend
ed. 1t would be better If the whole
system were placed on a cash basis
and then it would not be necessary
for the retail man to put up his prices
to those who pay their debts in order
to recover from the losses now sus
tanned from trusting those who dc
not make 1t a practice of paying al
all. The different states could han
die this given power, heavy penalties
could be provided for those dealers
who break the laws, and thus the
dealer who now wishes to do business
on a fair margin of profit could exer
else the desire to his hearts content
What a wholesome effect 1t would
have on the trade If dealer who
charged a 100 per cent or 200 pei
cent. profit now would run the chances
of having his license to do business
taken away from him and also run thu
risk of a fine and Imprisonment
Why not? What a help such
regulation would be to the Legitimate
dealer who wants to do an homes
business at only living profit. Un
der proper regulations the retail deal
er could make more money than h
does now, and he could reduce hi
price to the consumer from 70 pc
cent to 200 per cent There is N
Justice in the retailer selling -four a
cost, and it is wrong for him to hav
to do so in order to meet competi
ton, since it is a foregone conclu
sion that he must add the profit tha
he should have obtained for -four {
his selling price on other products
such as fruit and vegetables. If vi
der existing conditions he is not a
lowed to ask a profit on everythin
shells, why not fix it by law SO tina
he can? And IN that way every tub wi