The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-08-20
LETS HAVE THE FACTS!

President Wilson has written to
Attorney General McReynolds urging
that something be done with regard
to "the rapid and unWarranted in
crease in the price of fOodstutfs IN
this country on the pretext of the
conditions existing in Europe
Attorney General McReynolds has
replied that investigators and dis
trict attorneys have already been in
structed to look into conditions.
"When we have become somewhat
more familiar with the exact situa-
ton | hope to be able to make
some suggestions in respect to legal
proceedings or appropriate legisla-
ton
Legislat ton is unnecessary; all that
il needed is the facts of the situation.
If these disclose a violation of the
law the law is amply sufficient to deal
with the case.
The main question, and the only
legal question, is whether there has
been a combination on the part OF
dealers in foods, whether on the
large or the small scale, with the un-
lawful object of forcing up prices. :.
Such a combination may be found
in the case of dealers in certain foods
and not found in the case of other
dealers. The thing to do is to find
it, if it does exist; otherwise all the
talk about legal punishment and pre-
vention will amount to nothing.
In the meantime, it is not neces-
sary to assume that every rise in food
prices means that there has been an
unlawful combination. Existing cir
cumstances may furnish reasonable
explanation of some phases of stu
alton which is not unfamiliar, al
though at this time it happens to be
particularly annoying.
The packers declare that the high
price of meat is chiefly due to rela-
tive scarcity of cattle, and not to the
present or prospective demand from
the war. Relative scarcity, if estab-
Yished by investigation, is certainly
sufficient explanation.
Disarrangement of shipping may
probably explain the rise in many
articles of import, like coffee and
sugar. If we haven't large stock
on hand, and are finding it hard to
get more, prices go up naturally,
Wheat no doubt went up on the
prospect of a strong demand from
Europe; and corn and other cereals
naturally go up IN sympathy
Whether there was combina ton to
help this natural tendency along is a
question of fact to be determined by
investigation.
But whatever the various investiga-
tions establish as a matter of fact,
and however efficiently the legal
machinery is set to work to punish
and prevent unwarranted increases,
we might as well face the fact that
We are confronted if not by present
at least by prospective increase of
food prices due to the European war.
1t is a natural presumption that
war on the continent means that this
country will be called on to help
supply a large part of the food that
those nations no longer produce. And
it is to be taken for granted that this
Increased demand will mean some
increase OF price not only for the
articles demanded but probably for
I'll the substitutes and interchange
able foods in the country.
AS we see it, nothing but serious
and continued interruption of ship
ping can prevent this tendency, al
though it may not be as strong as
many fear. In case of such inter-
ruption we shall probably see slump
in the other direction.
In the meantime the best thing to
do is to utirlze the weapons of calm
ness, domestic efficiency and economy
rs the immediate remedy. Public
sentiment and legal procedure will
check unlawful manipulation.-Chi-
cago Herald.