The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-05-08
DEMOCRATIC
TO
IN FALL
President is Even Opposed
to Preparing for the
Campaign.
PRESIDENT SAYS
NO ISSUES EXIST
Believes That BY August or
September Some Issues
May Develop.
PRESIDENT SAYS
NO ISSUES EXIST
By gibson GARDNER.

Washington, May THE demo-
cratic presidential campaign will
not begin until midsummer or fall.
President Wilson has decided that for
the present there is nothing for him
or his friends to do but to sit tight.
There will be no headquarters open
ed, no extensive organization under
taken, no solicitation of campaign
funds, no literature prepared-in fact,
none of the usual campaign activi-
ties. This is contrary to the advice
of some Of the presidents political
friends, including Secretaries Lane
and McAdoo. Mr.. Wilson is going on
the theories that there are no issues
until the opposition develops them,
and that any day may produce inter
national complications so overwhelm-
ing as to drown any supposed issues.
By August or September, he figures,
he can tell what kind of a campaign,
if any, the democrats ought to make.
UTILIZE NATIONAL FORESTS.
Representative Robert Crosser of
Ohio, has secured from the labor COM
Inittee of the. house of representatives
definite date, May IS, for the be-
ginning of hearings on his farm colon
ization bill. The Crosser bill pro-
vides that the government shall util-
ize its remaining public lands, nation
al forests and government reserva-
tions to establish farm colonies, the
government preparing the land for oc-
cupancy by clearing, ditching, irrigat-
ing, road building, etc. and placing
the settler on the farm ready for oc-
cupancy. The bill also provides that
community services, such as light,
telephone, etc, shall be furnished at
cost by the government to settlers,
and that Uncle Sam shall assist in
the formation of cooperative associa-
lions among the settlers for buying
supplies and marketing their products
and running cooperative creameries,
mills and other similar enterprises.
The plan follows the recommends
tons made by Secretary of Labor
| William B. Wilson in his annual re-
port to take care of unemployment
| by placing settlers on the land. The
bill differs from all previous land
legislation by retaining in the federal
government the fee simple title to the
land forever, and granting to the set
| tier the right of use only so long as
he makes beneficial use of the land
Mr.. Crosser's bill was first referred
to the house committee on public
lands, but the Ohio representative has
secured its transfer to the house COM
mittee on labor, of which Represen-
tative David ]. Lewis is chairman
The chance for it to be reported
from the labor committee is much
greater than from the public lands
committee. Witnesses who win be
called before the committee viii prob
ably include Assistant Secretary of
Labor Louis F. Post, and other rep
resentatives of the department of lab
or, experts from the agricultural de-
partment and the forest service.
Great public interest has been
aroused all over the country IN the
Crosser bill, and Representatives have
been getting a large number of let
tiers from constituents favoring its
consideration.
FOOD PRICES ADVANCE.
The cost of living is still soaring
While the price of food, taken as q
whole declined two per cent from
January Is to February Is, 1916, re,
ports to the bureau of labor statistics
from approximately TBS retail dealers
in A of the principal industrial cities
of the United States, covering the
principle staple articles of food, show
that relative combined prices of these
foods in February, 1916, was five pei
cent higher than in February, 191;
and 1914, and nine per cent higher
than in February, 1912 and 1913. Al
meats for which information was Sc
cured for the five years from Feb
ruary, 1912, to February, 1916, were
higher in February 1916, than in Feb
ruary, 1912; also lard, milk, flour