The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-01-22
HOW THE COLONIAL PATRIOTS HANDLED
THE PROFITEERS

laws providing for the seizure of
boarded supplies and selling them at
reasonable prices were passed and the
drastice measures We're vigorously en-
forced by the officials)
Frank Willing Leach in the Washing
ton Post: Herbert Hoovers plan TO
control prices in the interest Of the
consumer is by no means a novel one
in the history Of America.
In a recent speech on the floor of
the senate, Reed of Missouri said
George III never dared assert or
ask for rights such as are here de-
manded."
But in defending the mild and inno-
cent George III, Senator Reed failed 10
call attention to a state of affairs ex.
istins at the very inception of the
United States, when the founders Of the
republican, least the leaders in con-
troll Of certain statcs-assumed and ex.
ercised powers infinitely more drastic
than any yet employed by the Hoover
food administration.
I'm 1873 and 1873 the fortunes of the
young nation were at a low ebb Money
there was little in circulation. Food
was almost unprocurabe Prices had
risen to a prodgious height, some ar
icles increasing 400 and 500 per cent
in value.
CHRISTOPHER Marshall the noted Phila.
delphia Fighting Quaker" in May,
l779, records that butter sold in the
market at from 81 to So a pound aour
at twenty pounds sterling a hundred
weight, and green peas at from twenty.
to twenty-five shillings a half peck. In
June he paid $50 for two pairs Of shoes
and $50 for two silk handkerchlcfs.
Earlier in the same year Samuel
Adams, one of the Massachusetts, dele
gates to congress, was asked $500 for
a hat and $500 for pair of leather
breeches, 1925 for pair Of shoes ana
81 600 for a suit of clothes.
Took Drastic Action
"Slackers," "pacifsts" and near
traitors" were plentiful in those days
our popular" histories to the contrary
Notwithstanding. The great bulk Of the
merchants, innumerable householders
and vast number of farmers resolved
themselves into an incipient trust" and
boarded the necessaries Of life, partly
for their own use and party to rob the
general consumer by charging out
rageous prices.
But we had some patriots, some real
statesmen, in those days, too, and they
took drastic action.
1t was up to the state legislatures to
act, and act they did, and to good effect.
This was especially true in Pennsyl-
yania, whore was located the national
capital Philadelphia.
The general assembly April /, 177S
passed an act setting forth that
Whereas certain persons in this
state, instigated by the lust of
aVarice are assiduously
endeavoring by every means Of OPP
preston, sharping and extorton
to accumulate enormous gain to
themselves. That the jus
tccs of the peace shall
have full power to set such reason
able prices on all provisions as they
shah see fit.
y penalty was laid upon any shop
keeper who charged more than the
legal price.
Like Conditions in 1917,
The situation having become greatly
aggravated in the winter of 1859, the
Pennsylvania legislature April 3, 1873,
passed a more drastic law, which con
tanned the following interesting pre-
amble, certain portions Of which sug
gest 1917 conditions quite as fully as
those Of 1779:
Whereas, many of the good citi-
zens by being often Of
late called out as militia
or having been obliged by the enemy
to abandon their habitatons, have
thereby been deprived of the op.
portunity of putting in their crops
and taking due care of their har.
vest, and if some remedy be not
applied must
suffer through want of tTead not
by reason Of any real scarcity
but chiefly because many
OF those persons remained at home
have raised large Quanti-
ties Of grain, and being prompted
by avarice, minding only their pri-
Vate gain have boarded
up or monopoized the same and
refuse to sell any part thereof
either for the relief OF private III
diyiduals in want or for the use Of
tl,, IrritnJ States