The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-08-23
GOVERNMENT CAN'T coNFlNE
STEPS TO SINGLE STAPLE.
STATEMENT OF IOWA SENATOR
Country is Not Yet Awakened to the
Magnitude of the Work This
Government Ha son Its Hands
at Present Time.

a
essary article of commerce without
regulating them all" said Senator
Cummins upon his return from Wash
ington for a vacation in Des Moines.
The reference was to the fact that
cotton and STEEL as much necessities
in war time as is wheat, were not In
Guided in the food control bill.
IF we are to say at what price
wheat shall be sold in it's various trans
actions between farmer and consumer
we should be able to do the same with
cotton and with steel. This is also
true of coal and I1expect to see Presi-
dent Wilson take over all coal at the
mouth of the mines"
/. Senator Cummins was one of the
most insistent members of the upper
house in congress with his demand
that cotton and steel be included with
the food products under the regulatory
laws and also stood for the regulation
of coal prices.
Demand Is Increasing.
. "The coal demand has increased
because of the greatly increased
consumption in Industrial plants" he
explained. The operators of the
eastern fields are willing of course to
sell it near the mines and it does not
get very far west. The lake boats
have. not carried much to the end of
the lakes and the railroads have been
too busy to haul it other than to the
consumers near the fields. Where
generally there has been 100000 tons
stored in the docks at and around
Duluth there is now only about $780,
600 If more is not brought quickly
before the end of the lake transporta-
ton season there will be great suffer
ing this winter in the northwestern
territory that is dependent upon the
dock storage supply for its winter
fuel"
Senator Cummins explained that
the program under which President
Wilson will take over the coal at the
mouth of the mines will allow the
operators a fair profit above the ex-
pense of production and then will pass
on the coal to the consumer at a
price including freight and there
fore varying according to the loca-
ton from the field, as we'll as vary
ing according to quality, without any
additional profit to the government.
From the food control bill he ex-
poets to see wheat selling at $2.25
a bushel, or very close to that figure,
and remaining there. What the effect
WI N MI hn would nnf
predict, other than to say that he does
not anticipate the fixing of minimum
prices on farm products. ut is not
necessary as a stimulation of pro-
duction at this time," he said.
Senator Cummins deplored the fact
that the country is not yet awakened
to the magnitude of the work this
government has on its hands in prose-
Cutting the war to the only end which
it will ever recognize as satisfactory
peace.
There can be no talk of peace
which does not guarantee that Ger
many will be forever disarmed and
as a menace to the future
peace of the world by its prepared
ness to start war at moments
notice and overrun other less pre-
pared Countries he said. IF the war
is to end only with a military victory
against Germany the end is far away
yet, but if it is to come from a change
of feeling on the part OF the German
people of from other similar causes
there is no telling when it may come"
To cary on the war, according to
Senator Cummins, the people of the
United States must accustom them
selves to giving up to the government
all but their living. He
said that it now costs the United
States just about twice as much TO do
anything as it costs Great Britain
Billions Must Be Spent.
Great Britain is now spending
from twelve to fifteen billion dollars
a year on the war. This year we
shall spend fifteen billions, and next
year we shall have TO be ready to
spend twenty-five billions" he de-
Clared. "Of the expense of the war
we may count upon raising about 25
per C0II OF 1883 ny CuTT6nL ldAdllOH.F
The rest must be raised by loans to
the government in the form of bound
issues and through these the people
must accustom themselves to giving"
The second bond issue of $5,0O0O0O,-
900 will not be issued so easily as the
first $5,O00,O00, 100000 Liberty loan
in Senator Cummins' opinion. Follow
ing the impending issue of FIVE bill
lions there must be another of the
same size in order to cover the ex-
penses of the present year, he said.
OF the revenue bill, which, he said,
will raise only drop In the buclet,"
he declared that he would have favor
ed the elimination of many of the
small and more annoying taxes such
as the stamp taxes, the taxes on trans
portation tickets. telephone and tele-
graph messages and the raising OF
larger amount by taxation of excess
profits.