The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-12-05
CONGRESS READY
TO BEGIN FIGHT
ON HIGH PRICES
Eleven Bills Aimed at Specula
ton and ExOrbitant Food
Charges.


prices and the high cost of living at
once pressed to the fore as prob
lem of Nationwide urgency. Eleven
bills, including four by Representative
fitzgerald of New York, were intro
duceds all aiming at a reduction in the
cost of food by EN- bargoes on exports,
by supervision of cold storage or by a
reduction of transportation and parcel
post rates.
Embargoes and investigations were
discussed at both ends of the Capitol,
were turned toward the White
House.
Three Departments Active.
At least three branches of the gov
ernment-the Department of Justice,
the. Agricultural Department and the
Department of Commerce-are vieing
in activity with the newly assembled
Congress in tackling the program. Sec
rotary of Agriculture Houston and
Secretary Of Commerce Redfeld are
gathering and laying before Presf-
any communication he may make
A report handed to Mr.. Wilson by
Secretary Redfeld and not yet made
public is said to disclose wide mar
gin between prices realized by pro-
ducers of food and those paid by con-
sumers. The President, in a. recent
address, practically charged the mid
dlemen withholding responsible for the
increased, cost Of living.
President Wilson was called upon
yesterday by a, delegation of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor, headed by
Samuel Gompers, who asked for an
inquiry into food costs and supply and
methods of distribution. by special
commission. :s.%
The Presidents Reply.
Mr.. Wilson replied that the govern
ment intends to deal with the, situa-
ton, but is not fully ready to announce
what steps are in prospect. His vas-
itors gathered the impression that the
President is reluctant, as he yet views
the situation, to appoint a special
commission lest it lack power to COM
mel testimony His objection to a
Confessional inquiry is said to be the
DELAY such an investigation customar-
ilv entails in reaching conclusions and
resultant action in the House and
Senate.
Many representatives in Congress
got the idea. yesterday, when they ar
rived in shington. that the Presi-
dent would deal with. the problem OF
food costs in special message to-
Congress. early in the session, If not
at the outset.
1t was said last night that whatever
Mr., Wilson has to say on that SUD-
feet is not likely to be incorporated
with his general message to Congress
today, but probably will be taken up
In separate message on a special oc-
casion.
Fitzgerald's Bills.
or the four bills introduced yester-
day in the House by Representative
Fitzgerald, two propose embargoes,
one prohibiting expectation OF any
farm products or manufactured food
stuffs for a period of one year; the
other empowering the President to
suspend expectations whenever prices
become extortionate and the public in
terests require such action.
Each bill provides for shipment of
United States to foreign governments,
to American citizens in belligerent
and to peoples destitute as
the result Of war, pestllence or other
causes.
The third of Mr. Fitzgerald's meas
ures makes unlawful the transporta-
lion in interstate commerce of cold
storage food unless the package Of the
article is stamped with the date when
placed in cold storage. It would pre-
vent shipment of cold storage foods
which have been held more than 10
except butter products, which
may be held IL months.
Representative Fitzgerald's fourth
bill abolishes the zones in the present
parcel post system so far as farm
products and manufactured foodstuffs
are concerned, and admits such arti-
cles to the parcel post in quantities
up to $50 pounds and fixes the date at
3 cents for the first pound and 1 cent
for every other additional pound or
fraction thereof.
The enactment, said the New York
Of either of the en-
barge bills, along with the bill to reg
ulate interstate shipment Of cold stor-
age foods and to reduce the parcel
post rates on foodstuffs, will bring i'm
mediate relief to the country.
Other Bills.
Representative SABBATH of Illinois put
In bill directing the United States
General to ascertain by in
quiry If trade conspiracy has taken
any part in boosting the price Of food,
cotton goods, wood pulp, paper, or
coal.
Mr.. SABBATH also offered a bill re-
curling cold storage warehouses to file
annual reports with the Department
Of Agriculture, for publication on July
1, giving the quantities Of articles of
every kind in storage.
Representative Lindberg of Mime
sofa introduced a joint resolution ask
ing that all embargo measures be re-
members from each branch OF Con-
gress to investigate the present sys-
tenn Of International commerce.
Other measures put in were:
BY Representative Farr Of Penn
sylvania, authorizing the President to
issue provisional embargo upon
wheat, wheat flour and the products
of wheat.
By Representative Emerson of
Ohio, to have the Secretary of Agri-
culture report in the placing Of an
embargo on wheat. and also on the
movement of food products from
plentiful sections to sections where
foods ares carce