The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-08-20
Prlce-Kitlng Result Of War

Result OF w ar
!, man army nor the German feet, bu
this morally rotten section Of our com
| mun1ty.
/ Now 1t is no use scolding these
people 1t Is no use appealing to thei1
/ honor and patriotism. Honor the.
have none and their idea of patriotism
is to "tax the foreigner" They wave
union jacks and clamor for the ap
plication to England Of just that com
| puIsory service which leads straight
| to those crowded, ineffective mass
| acres OF common soldiers that are
now beginning upon the German wal
front.
| Elaboration may sway ninety anc
nine but the one mean man In the
hundred will spoil the lot. The
thing to do is to get to work at once
in every locality, requisitioning al
excessive private stores OF food OF
gold coins.
They can be settled for after the
war-not only the stores Of private
| food grabbers but also the stores OF
the speculative wholesalers who are
holding up prices to retail shops.
Can Organize Inquiry.
Only in that way can the opera
tions of this intolerable little minor
ity be completely checked. Under
every county council food committees
could be formed at once to report on
the necessities Of the general mass
and conduct inquiries into the hoard
ing and seizure and distribution OF
boards, small and great.
Now this public work calls for the
most careful and open methods. The
food distribution of England is part
ly In the hands Of great systems OF
syndicated shops and partly. still, in
the hands of the one shop local trades
men. 1t is imperative that the bright
est light should be turned and kept
upon the operations of both small and
large provision dealers. The big
firms are in the control Of men whose
bushes successes have received, in
many instances, marks Of the signal
favor and trust of our rulers.
Cites LIpton's Position.
Lord Davenport, for example Is, a
peer. Sir Thomas Upton is bar
onet They are not to be regarded as
mere private traders, but az men
honored by association with the hier
archy Of our national life. 1t will hell
them in their quasi-public duties tc
give them the support of our at-en
ton. Are they devoting their enor
nous economic advantages to keeping
prices at a reasonable level or, are
these various systems Of syndicatee
provision shops also putting things
up against the consumer?
With concerted action on the par
OF these stores, the most perfect con
troll OF prices is possible everywhere
except In the case of few out OF the
way villages. Is 1t being done? No
body wants to see the names OF Lore
Davenport or Sir Thomas Upton, o.
the various other rich men associated
with them in the food supply, flour
| ishing about on royal subscription
lists at the present time. Their worl
| lies closer at hand.
Must be Watched.
| What we all want is to feel tina
they are devoting their utmost re
sources to the public food service, o
| which they are called upon to pla.
! as brave and self-sacrifcing . part
- %l,A Sprt
| II they fail us 1t will be more thar
the loss of thousands Of men in bat
tie. Let us watch them, and ! be
! lieve we shall watch them with ad
miration. But let US watch them
/ let us report their movements ask
\ them to reassure us, chronicle thef
visits to the board of trade.
Secs Them Sacrifice.
I will not expatiate upon tho pos
! sible heroisms of the Wholesale Pre-
vision trade. / do but glance at tn
! possibility Of either Lord Devonpor
or Sir Thomas Upton after the wal
living, financially ruined. but glorious
in his little cottage.
II gave back to the people, in thei
hour or need, what made from then
in their hours of plenty" he woul
say.
I "I have suffered that thousand
might not suffer. but 1t Is nothing
I think of the lads who died In Be
GUM"
\ By all accounts the small one sho
| provision dealers are behaving e,
tremely well. In my own town
!, Dunmow T know of two little shoI
D Keepers who have dared to offend in
portant customers rather than fulfil
panic orders. They deserve medali
In the poorer districts many sue
men are giving credit, eking on
tiding over, and all the time runnin
tremendous risks.