Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-27
PRICE FIXING FAILS,
SEN. LODGES VIEW
Hasn't Prevented Profiteering But
Has Curtailed Production Of
Coal and Sugar
ny Associated Press 70 Every Evening
WAsnrNarov. Feb 81


WAsHrNGTov, Feb 27
Government pricc-fixing as n method of
preventing proftecring has proved
failure. senator Lodge of Massachusetts,
declared tOdav IN giving the Senate the
conclusions he had drawn from the recent
Investigations Of the coal an' ugar short
agcs.
IN the case Of coal Senator lodge said,
price-fxing nad only served 10 curtail
production while the Food Adminis-
tration's prize plan for sugar Ind kept
western beet sugar from the eastern
states and IN the meantime retailers of
coal and sugar had proiteered.
To prevent prohteering by few"
the senator explained, ''the fundamental
error of the Administration WAS that
policy for AL Of fixing prices declared
failure in both Germany and France
was adopted, instead of one of stimulating
and increasing production.
Blame Tor the coal shortage the senator
laid 10 4he Fuel Administration price
fixing plan, together with difficulties and
the closing order he described az q com
plete confession Of impotence and failure.
lie denounced tho Fuel Administration AZ
an unnecessary agency which was
composed largely Of amateurs
ADDITIONAL DIFFICULTIES.
i'The result Of the Fuel Administra-
tons policy" he said, was - add 70 the
Already enormous railroad difficulties bv
creating chaos in distribution and adding
10 all this suspense, alarm and uncer-
taintv due to iixlng an arbitratry price.
The svztem adopted by Mr.. Hoover
had at least the merit Of maintaining pro-
ductIon. The system Of making a df-
ierent coal price al each mine was I'M
practicable Even il they kept prices
down. which IS purely guess work, they
brought a coal famine with tins nominal
fixed price
Declaring he did not believe the rail-
road problem could not have been solved,
Senator Lodge continued:
But nothing can be more certain than
that the policy of the Fuel Admins
tration, its attempt to substitute a new
scheme Of distribution, It's reckless price
fixing, brought on a coal famine n
country which has more coal than any IN
the world.
What we needed was not a shutting
down OF Industries; a freight embargo
on all railroads the Fuel Administration
policvy is a striking evidence of how much
harm has been done BY paralyzlng private
interests and undertaking TO solve the
tttltE4ttitc DF 0iiJ JAAtseAA kftsoNA As%4
" OF amateurs.
There was no need OF the Fuel Adj
ministration, nor reason Why It should
exist at all. Its powers, however annable
and patriotic the purposes OF their pOss-
essor, have been employed to make 3
bad situation worse and do nothing but
harm. The vital point OF the whole
coal situation was the railroad problem.
VAST POWERS DENOUNCED.
Either Secretary Lane or Francis :.
Peabody, Senator Lodge said, should
have charge of the coal situation. An
nu!ment by Secretary Baker OF the agree
ment Mr.. Lane brought about at a con-
ference Of operators. dealers and consumers
was criticised by the senator. lie also
denounced conferrIng of vast powers
upon state fuel administrators
so far SIS | can learn, said Mr.. Lodge,
the only qualification Of these gentlemen
is that they should be Democrats
Senator Lodge also warned the Senate
against official interference with what
some government bureau may decide to be
q non-essential industry. Neither, he
said in conclusion, should those who
criticise government affairs be charged
with being friends Of Germany.
Il think it will be wise 10 omit attacks
upon the patriotism Of men merely
because We differ from them as TO the
manner In which the war Is being con
Quoted. he said Patriotism is not
confined to those appointed to more or
less important offices IN Washington.
There is a tendency to make the test of
patriotism blind unqueStioning support
not only of the President himself but Of
everyone he sees fit to appoint. II is our
duty to support the President but never
beyond what our conscientious convic-
tions of duty to the country and the cause
demand.