The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1916-12-21

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. IA
Congress is planning its attack on the
high cost of living. For the past two
months thousands of petitions from
people all over the country have been
reaching the national capital, demand
ing relief from soaring food-prices. For
the past two months, toe, it is quite
likely that the members of Congress
themselves have been considerably
irritated by the prices prevailing. At
any rate, the second session had barely
opened before eleven bills were intro
duced providing several stern methods
Of dealing with the situation.
Mr.. Fitzgerald, of New York, for
example, has introduced four bills on
the, subject. The first abolished the
zone system of the parcel post and
established a fiat rate of cents for
the first pound or fraction thereof, and
/ cent for each additional pound. The
purpose of this measure is to facilitate
the transportation of food-stutfs direct
frora the producer to the consumer.
The committee on the pOstoftice and
post roads is now considering this
proposition, aud a report is expected
before the first of the year.
The second bill of Mr.. Fitzgerald S
cuartette has to do with the regulation
of cold storage-a matter that is now
being agitated with some success by
various state. Since the New York
State Commissioner of Food and Market
issued his ultimatum concerning the
stamping of all cold storage eggs IN the
city of New York, every small town
and hamlet of the state have taken up
the campaign and the price of eggs has
dropped three cents. There is no
excuse for such exorbitant prices when
the warehouses in the big cities are
stored with food" says Mr.. Fitzgerald,
land such storage should be prohibited
by national proclamation.
After these two bills were launched
on the legislative docket, Mr.. titz-
gerald brought up the matter of an
embargo IN the form of two bills
one authorizing the President to sus-
pend the expectation of foodstuifs for
year, and the other providing that all
embargo should be declared whenever
prices became excessive. This was
like setting fire to a whole bunch of
firecrackers. Mr.. Edmonds Immediately
introduced bill calling for an embargo
on foodstuffs when they had reached
the status of ST. 80 per bushel for wheat,
50 cents per bushel for oats, SIPS per
bushel for rye, Sl.00 per bushel for
corn and $125 bushel for potatoes.
Mr.. Farr introduced a bill placing an
embargo on wheat and wheat products,
if after investigation, it were consider
ed necessary; while Mr.. Martin, of New
Jersey, introduced a resolution in the
Senate proposing an embargo food
stutfs, and stating, 'unless relief of
this character is secured at once in
tense suffering and privation will pre-
vail throughout the country"
Besides these, a bill establishing
commission of sixteen members-eight
from the Honse and eight from the
Senate-to investigate international
commerce and the ACCESSIBILITY of an
embargo was introduced by Mr.. Linden
berg. Mr.. Van Dyke proposed that
the Department of Commerce, Labor
and Agriculture should report not later
than January 18th of next year on the
total food supply of the United States,
the amount required for home consump-
ton, and the surplus left over for eX-
port any; and that the Federal Trade
Commission should report as to what
extent the increase in prices was due
to the speculation of middlemen. In
another bill Mr.. SABBATH appropriated
the sum of $3.50, 900 to the attorney
general for an investigation into the
cause of the unreasonable advance"
in prices not only of focsstuffs, but of
cotton goods and dress fabrics, wool
pulp and all kinds of paper and coal.
Mr.. Mcclellan has yet another idea.
Hill bill prohibited the shipment be-
tween states of all adulterated and mis-
branded foodstuffs. and required all
cold storage men to furnish the govern
ment with list of the articles received
by their warehouses daily.
Thus Congress has endeavored to
cover the situation. If one of these
bills fails to secure the necessary re-
suits, the other eight or ten should.
The Committee on Interstate and
Foreign Commerce, the Committee on
Rules and the Committee on the Post
Office and Post Roads are all earnestly
considering each of them at present