New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-09-28
CHAMBERS VOTE ON
CONTROL OF. PRICES
Central Body Desires to Learn
Attitude Of Business Men

Washington, Sept. 2s.-A referen-
dun to ascertain business opinion on
price control Is being sent forth by the
Chamber of Commerce Of the United
States which carries a committee rec
| ommendation that the National Cham
Der favor additional legislation to cre-
ate authority to control prices during
the war. Business organizations
throughout the United States will have
an opportunity to vote for or against
such a recommendation and As days
will be given to them to dispose Of
the subject.
The question is raised at a particu-
larly interesting time in view OF the
number Of important questions about
prices which have recently developed.
The referendum, it is said, will show
exactly where the principal organiza-
lions of the country stand on the sub
ject.
What Committee Favors.
After going very thoroughly into
this subject the National Chamber
price control committee has recon-
mended that authority to control
prices should extend to all articles
which have importance in basic indus
tries as we'll as in war, and which
enter into the necessaries of every
day life; that authority to control
prices should extend to the prices the
public pays as we'll 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 har-
mony with the board controlling prices
should have authority to distribute
i1oh To-
! whose needs are most directly related
| to the public welfare: and that each
leading industry and trade should Gre
ate representative committee to
| represent it in conference and to ad-
! wise with agencies that control prices
and distribution.
Chambers Attitude on War Profits.
The National Chamber has already
gone on record through a. referendum
vote of it's members committing it to
| the principle that there should not be
| profit interest in the war. This
principle has been reiterated several
| times by the members of the cham
| Der since the United States declared
a state Of war.
The committee points out that for
! success in business enterprise, stable
prices are essential. Every seller Of
products is a purchaser of materials.
No business can be satisfactorily con-
Quoted if it cannot ascertain it's own
costs and prices in advance. When
there can be no reasonable certainty
about the future course of costs for
materials and equipment, it is pointed
out by the committee in its report
that every business faces unknown ele-
ments as soon as it endeavors to de-
termine it's scale of operation, the
will oo1x -
should ask for its product.
Position of Private Buyers.
1t is pointed out by the committee
that control Of prices charged to the
government, whether exercised under
GRITTY of law or through voluntary
arrangement with the sellers, leaves
the situation of private 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,
it is further pointed out, whether tho
position of industries buying for fur
Their manufacture Is considered or tho
situation Of ultimate purchasers among
the public.
Prices for Foods.
With respect to foods, feeds and
fuel, this inequity is recognized in leg
islation which has just been enacted.
The so-called Food-Control Act con-
templates a system Of licensing man-
ufacturers and handlers of food prod
ucts and the other articles affected,
with the profits Of licenses limited
by the government to a reasonable
figure Some commodities such as
wheat, flour, meal, beans and potatoes
the government may buy in quanti-
ties and sell at reasonable prices, as
means Of influencing the general .
market. In order that the president
may make measures of this kind eff
fective, he may, if necessary, take
over and operate the facilities for pro-
ducing such foods or meats. Or the
mines from which coal is obtained.
Membership of Committee.
The membership of the special COM
mittee Of the National Chamber max
ing this report consists of: August H.
Vogel of Milwaukee, vice. president Of
Pfister and Vogel Leather Company,
chairman: Norman Bridge, of Los An
geles, secretary of the Mexican Petro-
leum Company: E. w. Decker, Of Min
neapolis, president of the Northwest
National Bank: Henry w. Farnam, Of
New Haven, Conn. professor of poll
teal economy in Yale University;
Charles S. Keith, of Kansas City, pres
ident Of the Central Coal and Coke
Company; David Kinley, Of Urbana,
Ill, president Of the University
of Illinois; Ambrose Mcneil, Of New
York City, president of the Interne-
tional Nickel Company; Hugh Morrow,
lawyer, of Birmingham, Ala; Her.
bert Myrick, of Springfield, Mass,
president of the Phelps Publishing