The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-08-14
PRICE CONTROL is
NOT DEEM|EDLIk[LY
Correspondent Of Local House
Thinks Presidents Words
Were Meant As Request

.| .
OF the government to fix the prices at
which staples are to be sold to the
! general poblic. In the opin;on Of n
So,, w a..a.,..,,ao.t 80 looaI
o''ssPo"u u
business ness mouse, despite the statemeht
of the President that the government
must make the nriees IN the public
~, .....,,.. }, ,v,,.,,
Wv = 800 soa.' ""'".' " 80 :,
the freslaent SAID TINS, beheVes the
correspondent, he meant II only as an
appeal TO the patriotiam Of the dealers
"A NJ, a. a., ,,or,ou. 90 c,o,,or,,.
-,
mem p' Pon0s. ..r.....
| Unquestionably the government mas
the authority to regulate TO certain
any or Nil commodities reouired wheth.
a, -. 1900 60 a., -.
" :" ~. y I" Poa 49,, '', s"N Wy
extent the prices which II shali pay fof
tion OF what constitute fair D market
prices 70 ne decided by the Juulcia'
tribunals established for that purpose,
should the producers and the govern
ment fan to agree on 'tnfs point, = says
the New YORK winter.
onconstitutionA
but the government VIII not torcl.
Oily, and cannot under the constitution,
regulate the prices at winch the manu-
taeturers snah dispose OF thelr product
TO tine public at large. The statement
IN the PRESIDENT 8 recent appeal 70 ppsl
ness men that we must make the prices
to the public the same as the price
TO the government should not De inter,
preted rs projected pohey OF the
| government to enforce TINS view, but
rather as an appear 70 tine loyaIty ann
PATRIOTISM or business men; FOR MT. WI
son Is tar 700 shrewed student OF ms
tory ana or politics to commit himself
to PROJECT Of such magnitude, and
which IS SO clearly unconstitutional ant
eontiscatory, as would be the attempt
private property owners shaIi dispose
OF their property TO private purchasers
we DO not by any means, intend any
rehection non the justice OF the Sher'
man Antitrust Law, which, OF course,
has no bearing on the subject IN IT'S
nroadest aspects. ..
supply ana Demand p
ordinarily, IT the elements or sup
ply and demand were more evenly bal
aneed, we would attach more import
enee to President Wilson s recent letter,
from which we have quoted, and TO the
steel Corporation 3 pohey OF price hml
tat'on, put the demand continues quite
out OF proportion TO the supply OF iron,
steel, wire and metal products, and we
fear that while this condition lasts d,
VIII DE quite beyond the power OF any
one to control the markets IN the inter
est OF the pubic, therefore when urging
the jobbers to exercise themselves in
trying to hold the markets in, check
and IN trying to cooperate with the
Steel Corporation in its price limitation
pohcy, we feel that we are dong httlc
more than to lend moral force to .
commendable movement, Tor the mark
cts are still running wild, prices are
still advancing on a variety of finished
products, and there are evidences of q
greater shortage Of materials than at
any time in the past. q
Stin Going Up s',NE y3t
1--WE have not reached the end OF
the upward movement in prices, and we
fear that for some little time to come
there will be even a greater shortage
Of materl9ls than we hFye Witnessed in
the past, therefore we still regard il
as wise for the jobhers to anticipatc
their requirements well into the future,
for. the faintest sign Of market re-
action has not yet appeared, and II Is
1nite among the possibilities that many
OF the manufacturers viii make. the
public pay more dearly for the low
prices at which thew are forced to
furnish their products to the govern
ment ...
No Peace In Sight
Momentous changes are being en-
acted in the German government, and
TO our minds, the recent Crown Coun'
Gil, coupled with the appointment OF
Doctor MichaHlis as chancellor, to sue
coed Won Bethmann'Hollweg, sounds
the death.knell to whatever hope there