The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-09-14


control prices should extend 70 the
prices the public pays as well as
those paid by the government; that
authority to control prices should be
administered by a small executive
board appointed by the president.
Also that an agency working In
harmony with the board controlling
prices should have authority to dis
tribute available supplies to those
purchasers whose needs are most
directly related to the public well
fare, and that each leading industry
and trade should create q represen-
tative committee to represent it in
conference and to advise with agen-
cies that control prices and distribu-
ton.
No Profits In War.
THE national chamber has al
ready gone on record through a ref
erendum vote OF its members COM
hitting 1t to the principles that there
should not be a profit interest in the
war. This principle has been reiter-
ated several times by the members
of the chamber since the United
States declared a state of war.
THE committee points out that
for success in business enterprise,
seller of products Is a purchaser Of
materials. No business can be satis-
factorily conducted IL IL cannot
ascertain its own costs and price in
advance. When there can be no rea-
sonable certainty about the future
course of costs for materials and
equipment, 1t Is pointed out by the
committee in its report that every
business faces known elements as
soon as IL endeavors to determine
it's scale of operation, the goods 1t
will make, and the prices Ii should
ask for its product.
''It is pointed out by tho commit
tee that control Of prices charged to
the government, whether exercised
under authority of law or through
voluntary arrangements with the
sellers, leaves the situation of pri-
vate buyers, who have to meet their
requirements out of a diminished
supply, worse than before the prices
TO the government were dealt with.
This Is the case, too, 1t is further
pointed out, whether the position Of
industries buying for further manu-
facture is considered or the situa-
ton of ultimate purchasers among
the public.
with respect to foods, feeds and
fuel this inequity is recognized in
legislation which has Just been en-
acted. The socalled food control act,
contemplates a system. of licensing
manufacturers and handlers of food
products and other articles affected,
with the profits OF licenses limited
by the government to a reasonable
figure.
Some commodities - such as
wheat, -four, meal, beans and pota-
toes-the government may buy in
Quantities and sell at reasonable
prices, as a means of influencing the
general market. In. order that the
President may make measures of
this kind effective he may, IL neces-
sary, take over and operate the faci-
lities for producing such foods or
meats or the mines from which coal
is obtained"
Milk Investigation.
Without authority TO regulate the
price of milk in the United States,
the food administration is engaged
in exhaustive inquiry into the milk
industry and has appealed to milk
producers and distributors of the
country not to renew semi-annual
contracts which are about to expire.
4 The distributors and producers are
urged by Administrator Herbert G.
Hoover to make their new contracts
from month to month in the hope
that lowering prices for foodstuffs
will make it possible soon to lower
the contract price for milk and COR
respondingly decrease the price to
the ultimate consumer.
The food administration" said
Mr.. Hoover, is engaged in an in
vestigation In the cost of milk pro-
duction and distribution.
This investigation Is based on
collection of data from many quar-
tiers and will require time. The re-
suit of this investigation will be
published as soon as completed"
Nationwide demand OF the coal
miners from wage increases are ris-
ing to complicate the problems Of
the coal administration and the sit
uation is difficult to solve.
Although no Official figures have
been given out regarding the mine
workers demands, it was declared
yesterday they are asking a fiat in
crease throughout the United States
Of 10 cents a ton.
Wages now average so cents to 81
ton. Day laborers in the mines,
getting $3.25 to 1885 day, demand
a minimum OF $5.25 and maximum
Of $3.50. Producers declared here
yesterday that these advances would
increase the cost Of production from
90 to rs cents a ton, and would make
the Presidents scale practically pro-
hibitive to the producers.