The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-11-01
PRICE OF WHEAT FIXED BY LAW
COTTON HIGH BUT GOING HIGHER
Wheat Must Be Sold Immediately 1t
Is Threshed-Cotton May BE
Held Indefinitely

wheat is grown IN nome OF the re-
publican party. Cotton is exclusively
grown in the home of the democratic
party. The democratic party is in
power in our government Is the
party using its power to enrich the
southern cotton states at the expense
of the northern wheat growing states ?
According to a compilation made
October 8, 1918, by the Department of
Labor, fuel and light have advanced
so per cent, housing 10 per cent, and
food of all kinds an average of SO
per cent. The highest advance in liv
ing costs has been in clothing. Mems
clothing has increased 105 per cent,
wome's clothing 11S per cent.
The report of the Railroad Wage
Commission shows that common cal
leo, which formerly sold for six cents
a yard, now sells for 30 cents, an in
crease of 400 per cent! Working
mems overalls have increased $50
per cent, work shirts 200 per cent,
boys blouses 100 per cent socks and
stockings 125 per cent bingham 125
per cent, muslin 100 per cent, and
household textiles 100 per cent!
No clothing or textiles are being
made of wool. The government has
fixed a price on wool and comman-
deered the entire supply, both domes-
tic and imported. Textiles and cloth
ing are being made of cotton. The
increase the workingman and farmer
of the north is paying on clothing and
household textiles is the direct result
of the profiteering of the southern
cotton powers which dominate con-
gress, sit in the cabinet and have
prevented any fixing of price on
cotton. Every household is paying
heavy tax to the cotton profiteers, a
tribute to the southern domination of
congress.
Democratic leaders, growing much
alarmed at the rising protestes against
the increased cost of clothing, due to
the extortionate methods of the south
ern Gotten interests, recently issued a
statement to the effect that the price
of clothing would be fixed in the near
future. This statement must be taken
with grain of salt because the same
week that it was issued Mr. Clarence
Ousley, assistant secretary of agricul-
ture, announced that the cotton trade
and the cotton interests had nothing
to fear from the action of the War In
dustries Board. Mr.. Ousley said there
had not been from the beginning, nor
is there now, any purpose or desire to
fix cotton prices.
This statement has been confirmed
by Thomas w. Page, chairman of the
cotton inquiry committee, which was
appointed some time ago for the os-
tensible purpose of ascertaining
whether or not there should be a
price fixed on cotton. Mr.. Page an
nounces that "the committee will not
recommend that price be fixed on
raw cotton at the present time
1t is perfectly evident to everyone
that if there is no reduction in the
price of raw cotton, from which prac-
tically all serviceable clothing is now
made, there can be no reduction in the
price of the finished article, as it
manifestly would be both impossible
and unfair to attempt to reduce the
price of the finished goods at the ex-
pense of the manufacturer and work
ing man. Furthermore, eastern spin
ners have been notified that they must
obtain their requirements of raw cot
ton to April 1, 1919, on or before No
vember LIST of this year. Inasmuch as
all of this cotton must be bought at
current prices, it is readily seen that
there is no hope of any reduction in
the price of clothing for at least an
other year, because even if public
opinion should force a regulation of
cotton prices now, it would not benefit
Tic IOllOi lN@AtiiN WIN
will have purchased all their raw ma
terial for the coming years manufac-
ture by November LIST of this year.
The announcement that there is not
now, and never has been, any itention
on the part of congress, the depart
ment of agriculture, or the various
commissions appointed to investigate
the cotton situation, to regulate the
price of cotton, does not come as a
surprise to the country. The people,
as a whole, have settled down to the
retaliation that so long as congress is
dominated by cotton interests so long
will cotton remain king and success
fully defy all attempts to regulate its
price in the interests of the great
mass of people who must wear cloth
ing made from cotton, inasmuch as
there is no longer any wool permitted
for civilian uses.
Emboldened by the announcement
from various government officials
that there is no danger of a price be-