The Washington times., 1917-05-23
LETTERS TO TIMES
FROM ITS READERS
Communications on Timely
Topics Of Interest.
FIXES CAUSE OF HIGH PRICES
Writer Thinks Them Partly Due to
Speculation By Middle Classes.

To the Editor Of THE TINES:
found in the Plymouth Record. one
OF the leading country publications in
Plymouth, n. H.. an article by George
NJ. Bemis which deals with the aspect
Of the existing startling prices OF
food and other commodities in this
country much more pertinently than
in any other news production that !
have seen, and think IT Will do the
people of our country and their repre-
sentatives a great deal of good to
read what Mr.. Bemis has to say
about Il.
Mr.. Bemis Is a plain man, one OF
the common people, but he knows the
facts about which he writes so vigor-
ously. He states that in his Judg-
ment at least 80 per cent of the eN-
tortionate prices now being paid by
the consumers OF food in this country
is the result OF a really criminal
speculation on the part of the middle
classes or those in moderate circum-
stances who exhibit on a smaller
scale and perhaps in q meaner way
the same speculative spirit manifest
ed by the largest monopolistic specu-
lators in the commodities which sup
port life.
No Need TO Buy Fertilizers.
The truth is that in value Of fer
tilizers, the wastage Of our people
Is OF itself not less than 81 900. .O00,-
900 annually. Think OF the waste OF
productive power from the drainage
of this city and so of the largest
cities and in fact all thicLly settled
places OF the country.
We have no need to purchase fer
tilizers from Chile or anywhere else.
Five years OF proper effort would
save this wastaGe by a system OF pub
lie works that would run with the
whole future production OF the coun-
try. A great economy in another
direction is the saving OF the paper
of the country. That Is to say, the
newspaper and magazine prints not
permanently preserved perish with a
single using.
The common newspaper can easily
be utilized for clothing, for house
hold bedding and 10 some extent In
such a way as to save tens IL not
hundreds of millions Of dollars an
nually. Then. an ordinary coverlet
to a bed, costing one-fifth OF the or
binary article. is a better protection
against cold. Here is room for an
immense and independent industry.
Done BY Middle Glasses.
BemIs says: mo doubt there Is much
speculation in foodstuffs in the large
centers, which I believe will be stop
ped. There are many who have stock
ed up with provisions enough to last
them from two to FIVE years. This
il not done by the poor people. for
they have not the money. and It Is
not done by the extremely wealthy,
but think IL Is safe to say that 80
per cent of the people who are doing
these things are those who have from
SIC. 900 to $4,000.
AT the present time they think It
better business to have their money
invested in sugar and flour than to
have it invested in Government bonds
at AZ per cent.
when these persons. who are very
patriotic, are asked why they do
these things. and what about the
poor people and the country, they
would tell you, TO hK- with the
poor people and the country and that
they are looking out for themselves.
Now I say those people are hypo-
critics.
Products Are Hoarded Up.
There never were such crops in
the United States as there were a
year ago. They are not all in Chicago
today. but are boarded up in cellars,
garrets, and closets by these human
hogs. And that is what is making
the high prices.
Just stop and think II there are
not other means by which you can
help the people more than by telling
the farmer how to farm. Try and
encourage some one to raise a pig
who has never raised one before. In
this way you will have done some
thing for. your neighbor and some
thing for your country"
Yours truly.
HENRY w. BLAIR.
Colorado Building.