The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-06-07
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 Den
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
eminent 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-
tons 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 ne
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 II!
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 differ-
ent states with the right, II the states
have not already that right, and II
could be done by constitutional amend
ment or otherwise.
, The regulation should guarantee to
q the retail dealer a reasonable pront
on everything he sells, should protect
. him against the unreasonable demands
of consumers, and should make II I'm
perative that he blacklist the deao
G beat who has stuck one of his com
! petitors, providing credit is extend
q ed. 1t would be better If the whole
system were placed on a cash basis
n and then 1t would not be necessary
i for the retail man to put up his price:
n to those who pay their debts in orde
y to recover from the losses now sus
tanned from trusting those who d.
not make it a practice Of paying a
all. The different states could han
U die this given power. heavy penaltie
could be provided for those dealer
% who break the laws, and thus TN
dealer who now wishes to do bushes
on fair margin Of profit could exel
else the desire to his hearts content
70 What a wholesome effect 1t woul
II have on the trade If a dealer VIII
IS charged a 100 per cent. or zoo pc
n, cent. profit now would run the chance
* of having his license to do bushes
taken away from him and also run Tn
re- risk Of fine and Imprisonment
Of Why not? What a help such
IN regulation would be to the legitimat
N dealer who wants to do an homes
" business at only living profit Vi
III der proper regulations the retail dea
s, er could make more money than .
y, does now, and he could reduce n
price to the consumer from 70 pr
Is cent to 200 per cent. There is 4
ne Justice in the retailer selling flour
,u cost, and it is wrong for him to ha'
m to do SO In order to meet compel
Mt ton, since 1t is a foregone concf
tn sion that he must add the profit TIL
av he should have obtained for flour
is his selling price on other product
re- such as fruit and vegetables. If u
on der existing conditions he is not
ee lowed to ask a profit on everythiI
shells, why not fix it by law SO tn
40 he can? And in that way every tub W
nd have to stand on its own bottom.