Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-28

" tSF % vest III lAS IeSlOt't ali IL
the secretary CT var III snlue nt the
measures that have herct pf"r.. be- me
Law authority to fix p''CrS with re-
speCt TO articles which ne nited
States must haze in ;he N!p%cC luton Of
tho "7r:
NR HARDWICk 7'Ia sens' u
means with respect to articles needed
~ the government to prosecute the
WPr?
NR. KING Yes.
MR. HARDWICk. The senator may
~ right about uat. am mt prepared
t. say. But look at thIS SUGAR pr3po
sItiCn. The relief that We ned. If ",
need any think we dos the cciit t
that the American housewife leeds
The relief that We need is the relief
that the consumer needs, Yet this
man who is going 20 administer this
law goes to dicker;ng with the pIo.
ducers. in order to guarantee tn II
price, instead of trying to DO sOne-
can consumer. | think that is a Pretty
plain indication of what we may en-
peCt from such administration.
Mr.. KING. If the senator will Dor
don NE. without going into that ques-
ton, 1t appears tina. when our COuntr,
- at war there is a desire upon tho
. art OF many people to exact. not only
from the government but from thu
CITIZEN consumer, eXtOrtiOnate prices;
and it seems to me that we will newt
ably be driven sooner or later, if this
war shall last for ally length Of time,
to the position of authorizing some
one to fix Rrtces for the things re,
quired ~ the government,
MR.. HARDWICK. II the senator
Will pardon me moment, | have sale
about all | wanted 20 say and want
to yield the floor If that is true, ana
the senator does it for that reason
we are getting the boot on the other
leg as fast as We can, because il We
get any precise knowledge ABOUT II
1t is not to endeaYor to recuce the
price of our sugar, but it is to guar
antee to these beet-sugar factories
that We will keep the price up. Is
that the reason why the senator thinks
we ought to have food administrator,
to keep the prices up?
Mr.. KING. | was not expressing
an opinion in regard to a food admin
istrator, or the wisdom or necessity
Of controlling the prices of any arti.
Gle or commodity except such as were
required by the goverh-
ment to raise and support the armies
and to equip the navy and to carry 90
the war.
MR.. LODGE. Mr., President, l think
ought to say
MR.. HARDWICK. l yield to the
senator.
MR.. LODGE. understand it Is
simply that the sugar producers agreed
that the price should not go further
than a certain point, whatever that
point it. There is nothing to prevent
its going lower
Mr.. HARDWICK. What is the
statement Of the senator?
Mr.. LODGE. say, as under
stand it, the agreement simply is by
the producers that the pr'ce or sugar
shall not go up above Il cArrain point.
Mr.. HARDWICK. l iii rot under.
stand it that way. Has the senator
the language of the rr0po sttlDn?
Mr.. LODGE. That is what l un-
derstand, that the agreement among
the producers is that rrey will not
allow sugar to go above a certain
point; but II the operation Of the
economical laws Of supply and de-
mand carry it lower, there is no agree.
ment that It shall not g. lower.
MR.. HARDWICK. l should like
very much to be inform ed upon that
point. Has the senator the language
upon which he bases that statement?
Mr.. LODGE. No; am simply
stating the fact in my own language;
that ic all.
Mr.. HARDWICK. Where does thu
senator get that information?
Mr.. LODGE That is merely M
of their agreement
MR.. HARDWICK. An agreement
made by whom?
Mr.. LODGE. That is what I'm.
derstand to be the agreement. 1t may
be contradicted tomorrow, but that is
my understanding of the agreement.
Mr.. HARDWICK. wish to see
the letters. If l may
MR.. LODGE. | gave it to the! Off;
cial reporter.
Mr.. HARDWICk. Until have them
can not tell what sort of an agree
ment they made. These agreements,
Of course, are made by people who
have no authority to make them whau-
ever, and they do not take the public
into their confidence. This is the
first l have ever heard Of it. l sup.
pose it will be news to the public OF
course It will be very gratifying, il
deed, if it is discovered that the rea'
agreement with these sugar produC-
ers is that it is to reduce these abnor-
nally high prices o. sugar. | will be
very much gratified if that is true. I
say that unhesILatingly. But if this
letter means what l think it does, +.
Is no indication that that was the
character Of their agreement at all
Mr.. Herbert Hoover, who has very
fine stationery, does not say what of
flee he holds or what duties he dis
charges, just Herbert Hoover, Wash.
Ington." Royal purple is the color,
and he addresses this letter to the
senator
MR.. LODGE. If the senator will
allow me, do not want to be misun.
jorcTOod mot oil -