The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-12
. 90" APPEALS
ID TRADE; ASKS
/ PRICE FOR ALL
Says Problem of War Time
Costs Will Mean Vic
tory or Defeat

Washington, July 12-In an open
address teerning with sensational ut
t6rahces President Wilson last night
Served notice on mine operators, man
s,fAc<urers and shipping interests that
a the fovernment intended to fix prices
Of their products during the war per
5od. and that the public must ne serv-
Cd on the same basis as governments
&xencdes. Those who sought to avoid
the ruling of the government, he said,
would be held guilty OF an act favor
Athletic the cause of the enemy. The
price fxed, he said. mist. Of course.
be Just one.
1--WE must make the prices to the
subtle the same as the. prices to the
xovernment. - the President declared.
a.Frices mean the sane thing every
where now They mean the eff
f]cfercy sor the inefficiency of the ma
tion,, whether it is the government
that pays them or not. They mean
victory or defeat. They mean that
America will win her place once for
M ali among the foremost free nations
OF the world, or that she viii sink to
Hefeat and become a second-rate pow
8r alike in thought or, action This
AZ y day OF her reckoning, and every
man among us must personally face
that reckoning along with her.
Patriotism and profits ought never
= N the present circumstances to be
mentioned together, the President
SAID. for patriotism leaves profits out
" ok the question. No true man, ne
added, who stayed behind while others
vent to the front to risk their lives.
would asR himself what he is going
10 make out Of business.
' x4<r s<>f he Sofd gnaak-
Ing Of the soyArzeasgexpeditio will
M perrnit himself to take hold of their
heroisn in money or seek to grow
rich by the shedding of their blood,
when they are giving their lives, will
NJ not at least give his money 2"
The President said he could not be-
1feve that men living in easy and
peaceful fashion would attempt te
ssxsct q price, drive a. bargain" while
others were enduring the agony OF
this war on the battlenelds and "be-
7e4vsd women and "pitiful chill dren'
were about them.
special attentfon WIS directed t
fhe shfpoWners. who had raised freight
rates because Of the tremendous de
u1And on shipping facilities:
''Eheys the President said, arr
doirE ievtrything that high freigh
XUIL A68 ICdL 10 W -lIek o. tlAtO ~ e%1< e
failure, to make 1t impossible" III
added that those who had raised
fr4ixft rates had taken the most eff
fective means In their power to defea
NE armies engaged against Germany:
.N Hs took Ii for granted that they woult
reconsider the whole matter. In con
G1udfnE his address he said. ~
II shall expect every man who 4
mot a. Stacker to be at my sid
throughout this great enterprise. Il
I'll no man can. win honor who think
Of himself ~
TIE Presidents address was entire
1t in line with his whole attitude 4
regard to the prices which shout
M be p4id for essentials during the wa
per18d. He has stood behind Score
Harry Daniels of the navy and other
Who have demanded lower prices fror
certain interests than they were will
Ing to give voluntarily. He reqentl
71scided that hte Federal Trade Com
nniss3on should be asked to determin
tlie Yroduction cost and that Govern
ueuLal agencies should then name a
ultimate price based on the produe
tIon5 blus a reasonable profit to max
possible fair wages to the employees.
This program, while acquiesced i
" sorne interests, it was stated
brought protests from others an
rfomised to raise price fixing cor
tfoverBy which the President migf
find it difficult to adjust without ash
Ing E.ongress for legislation whic
would give him and his advisers al
eola1te control Of the industries a.
xectsd.
The delay in the passage OF tt
M food legislation and the controvers
over steel and coal prices were anon
the things which moved the Presidel
TO break his silence. He felt that
the public were fully awakened I
the crisis America faced it would NJ
countenance any selfish effort, an
that American business men, ont
convinced OF the Judgment Of h
opinion, would cooperate to the fu
with the government. ~