Licking Valley courier., 1917-05-10
War Reforms.

oClCeS into the world war, there
has been inaugurated many re-
forms as war measures. There
is now pending in Congress a
bill to stop the manufacture of
lntoxicants in order to save the
grain used in the manufacture
OF liquor for food purposes.
That is right and should be done
Immediately.
But why make it simplya war
measure? Why not make it a
permanent law? If the war
makes the occasion for national
prohibition, then we gladly well
come the war.
There is a mother reform that
is being agitated and which will
no doubt be put into effect, i. e.,
the government control and dis
tribution of the food supply.
The trade Commission has found
that there are both private and
public warehouses bursting with
food products that are stored to
boost prices, and the stock ex-
changes and food exchanges are
recklessly gambling in the food
of the nation. Christian Amer
lea reared up on its hind legs and
let go howl about the Louisiana
State Lottery and kept bowling
until the lawmakers put it on the
blink and banished it from
America, and yet the Louisiana
State Lottery was an insignif-
cant bit of petty gambling when
compared to the stock and food
exchanges. But big Business"
is back of the Stock and Food
Exchange gambling, while only
comparatively few men were in
terested in lottery the gamble.
Ii Congress wants to do re-
ally patriotic thing and do. some
thing that will help the people
and encourage legitimate busi-
ness let it wipe the gambling
exchanges off the business map
of the nation. Stop the gam
bling in wheat, corn, railroads
and other stocks. Compel every
man who sells a bushel of wheat
to own it and to deliver it to the
purchaser. Abolish the CON
structive delivery" Stop the
gambling and put the buying
and selling on a fair business
basis. Criminalize the dealelsin
margins" and put the buying
and selling of the nations prod
uct in the legitimate line of
merchandising.
Until the people wake up to-
the enormity of the stock gamb.
ling and food gambling, done
under the sanction of law, and
demand its abolition, the farmer,
the small business man, the la
borer and the general consumer
are at the mercy of conscience
less sharks who batten off the
dire needs'of the people. The
farmer who raises the grain has
no say in fixing the price of his
wheat. The stock gamblers
manipulate the prices to make it
low at harvest time and when
the farmer has parted with his
wheat they boost the prices sky
ward and he has to pay exorbitant
prices for his wheat back in
flour. He can't hold it, because
the banks are in "cahoots" with
the gamblers and he can not get
the money to operate his farm
selling his products at
The time and at the prices the
gamblers decide upon. The |
gamblers in stocks wreck rail
roads for profit and the railroads |
get back at the farmer in freight |
rates and stand in with the gam
)lers. In fact, the owners of
he railroads are the chief Of
lenders in the big gambling
that is destroying the
business and the little
'ellows.
Let these reforms come as war
measures if necessary, but let
hem come. When we get them
wen for a season we will learn
o value them and will not let go
# them readily. A spirit of gen.
line democracy is sweeping over
he world, dethroning kings, up
ooting empires, discarding roy
.lty," and uplifting mankind.
{ is broadening the vision of the