River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-07-19
Washington Letter
(By James A. Frear, NJ. CD

cussed for several weeks in the Sen
ate but it contains many important
provisions and in view of sweeping
powers granted to Administrative
officers the time has been we'll en-
ployed. In a letter to the President
relative to the Importance Of secur-
ing it's early possage, Mr.. Hoover
states that the farmer received an
average price in 1916 of 81 81 per
bushel for his wheat, yet that wheat
sold as high as 1925 per bushel on
the Chicago market. Hoover says
it is evident that this unbearable in
crease in the margin between pro-
Queer and consumer is due not only
to rank speculation but more largely
to the wide margin of profit de-
manded by every link in the chain
to insure them from the hazards OF
trade in a widely fuctuating and
dangerous price situation.
In his statement Hoover also re-
ferred to the drain on our food and
fuel resources by European nations
and commented upon the fact that
the increased demand thereby Great
ed reduced the supply on hand with
a consequent increase in prices. 1t
is becoming a recognized fact that
SPECTATORS in food and fuel, and in
fact nearly every product that the
government requires, have slezed
upon the war as an excuse for ex-
torting, unconscionable profits. An
Ohio Senator, familiar with the facts
in the case, stated to the writer last
week, that soft coal contracts were
made by dealers in his state last year
at prices ranging between $1.3O and
$1.4O per ton. at the mine, but this
year the same mine operators were
attempting to fix prices at the mine
of over SIS per ton. When vigorous
protests were made against the ex-
tortion, the operators declared this
was their harvest and they proposed
to make all they could while the
harvest lasts.
In view Of the present prices
maintained on meat products, a
statement was offered the latter part
of last week, by the Department Of
Agriculture, to the effect that cold
storage spectators have repealed
the law of supply aud demand be-
cause Government reports show that
in 243 storage plants located through
out the country, 479 per cent more
frozen poultry and 65 per cent more
frozen beef was on hand in these
plants than at the same time a year
ago. President Wilson issued a pub
lie statement last Friday on this
same subject of eXtortion and in a
sentence he summed up the war sit
uation in connection with high prices
when he said: Patriotism has moth
ing to do with profits; patriotism
and profits ought never, in the pres
ent circumstances, be mentioned to-
gether." Pursuant to the same
general proposition affecting the
food and fuel question, and by viz
tue of the new law granting him
authority to do so, the President has
declared an embargo on food stuffs
which will prevent large exporta
tions, particularly to neutral count
ries, with corresponding depletion
of our own supply. License to ship
in limited quantities will be- given
under the law to certain interests
but any wholesale draft upon the
Governments resources will be stop
ped by this action.
After three days debate, the
House on Wednesday last. passed
what is known as the Trading with
the Enemy Act" Technically this
bill applies the principle and prac-
tice of international law, interdict-
ing trade in time of war, and utilizes
enemy property found within the
jurisdiction of the United States.
An interesting phase of the situa-
ton arises from the fact that while
Germany and her allies are at war
with England and France, some of
the allies, including Bulgaria and
other governments, are not at war
technically, with this country. The
bill endeavors to carry out the gen
eral purposes of international law
with this particular situation. One
! important paragraphin the bill pro-
vides that any citizen of the United
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