The Redwood gazette., 1917-05-02

year VI Two VI llCICG SII uS SiC.
]! They tel us there is plenty
of food in this country.
!; Personally we do not believe
that this is so.
But, supposing, for the sake
of the argument, that it is so,
that there is plenty of food in
this country, of what use is that
to the poor man if he has no
money to buy with?
A man will starve to death
seated on a heap of gold, if there
is nothing that can be gotten
in exchange for that gold. A
man may starve within sight Of
food if he has no means with
which to possess himself of that
food.
There is no use in talking
about plenty of food if the price
of that food is SO high that the
people can not buy.
If the policy Of shipping the
food out of this country as fast
as it can be gotten out, is to con-
tinue, and the prices, in conse-
quence are to take their normal,
and under such conditions nat
ural, and unrestrained upward
course, then it will not be long
before the poor people-and that
includes the most of us-will be
going without the necessities of
life.
This is natural. We can pro-
duce food enough for many
times our need, but we can not,
with our present facilities, raise
food enough for the whole world
and all the fish in the ocean.
We must use reason in this
matter and we must remember
that our first duty is to the peo-
pie of these United States of
America.
Congress must come to the
rescue.
Congress must, for once as
least, take into consideration the
condition Of the poor man.
Congress must fix maximum
price upon food products.
There is no reason why any
man or set of men should secure
! profits beyond all right and JUS
tice.
Congress can relieve the sit
uation. Congress can come to
the front with an absolute solu-
tion Of the difficulty.
Will congress stand by the
common people? If it does it
will find that the common peo-
pie are more likely to stand by
it.
The situation demands that
something be done.
Congress holds in it's hands
the key to the situation.
Will the national lawmakers
be able to see their duty-and
if so, will they do it?
There should be an absolute
control of the price of food prod
ucts by the national govern
ment, that is to say, there should
be control as to the maximum
price that may be charged.
Under ordinary circumstances
and conditions it would be a very
debatable question whether or
not such a control should be
maintained. Commerce will take
care of itself when conditions
are normal. But under condi-
tions such as now obtain there
is no question that the govern
ment should do something.
The first duty of every gov
ernment is to look after it's own
citizens. There is no other high
er principle, or higher motive,
that can be accepted for the
government Of republic, than
that it protect the interests of
of the common people of it's own
country.
Therefore it is now up to the
congress of the United States
to take ahold of the food prob
lem and fix it in such a way that
there will be offered some re-
lief to the suffering poor of
America.
The common people are car
rying on their shoulders the
burden of the government. To
them the government must at
all times look for it's resources,
it's soldiers, the every force and
power that makes for progress
| and advancement-be it materi-
al or otherwise.
To no other class does the