The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-02-27
Senator Lodge Draws Decision
From Recent Probe.
Lays Blame for Fuel Shortage
on Garfield.
AMATEURS COMPRISE DEPT
Gives Hoover Credit; He Was
Handicapped by Railroads.
Taking Over Railroads Para
lyzed Transportation Machine.

Washington, Feb. 27.-Government
price fixing as method of preventing
profiteering' has proved a failure.
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,, de-
clared today in giving the senate the
conclusions he had drawn from the
recent Investigations of the coal and
sugar shortages. In the case of coal.
Senator Lodge said price fixing had
only served to curtail production,
while the food Administrations price
plan for sugar had kept western beet
sugar from the eastern states and in
the meantime retailers of coal and
sugar had profiteered.
ITO prevent profiteering by a few"
the Massachusetts senator explained.
the fundamental error of the admin
iStration was that a policy of fixing all
prices-declared a failure in both Ger
many and France-was adopted, in
stead of one of stimulating and in
creasing production
Confession of Impotence"
Blame for the coal shortage. Sena-
tor Lodge laid to the fuel adminis-
tration's price-fixing plan. together
with railroad difficulties and the
closing order he described as "a com
plete confession of impotence and fail
ure-" He denounced the fuel adminis-
tration as an unnecessary agency,
which was composed largely of anna
teurs."
The senator dealt in milder man
ner with the food administration, and
altho asserting fixing the price of
sugar was mistaken policy, and the
sugar famine largely artificial, he
| added:
In justice to Mr.. Hoover, he made
every effort to get rail distribution
| and get Java and sugar. How much
he was thwarted by the railroad situa-
ton and the tangle of priority orders l
| do not know, but 1 am certain that if
| he had been efficiently aided instead
of being crossed by other commissions.
there could have been no sugar famine
| in the eastern states"
Tended to Reduce Production.
Discussing the procedure of the fuel
administration, Senator Lodge said:
They liked a price which made it
/ impossible to work many miners,
| frightened the producer and tended
| to reduce production.
| mot cGntent with this they also set
| to work to change the whole system
| of distribution. No more reckless ex-
pertinent could have been better cal
culated to make railroad difficulties
almost insuperable At a single blow
| the. partially paralyzed all the ma
chinery of distribution. Only ignor-
| anc- of economic laws could be Of
fered as an excuse.
There was no need of the fuel ad-
m1nlStration, no reason why it should
exist at all and the powers, however
amiaple and patriotic the purposes of
their possessor, have been employed to
make a situation worse and do moth
! in; but harm. The vital point of the
whole coal situation was the abroad
| problem
Only Qualifications Were Democrats
| Either Secretary Lane or Francis S.
Pea body, Senator Lodge said, should
i have charge Of the coal situation. An
nulment by Secretary Baker of the
| agreement Mr.. Lane brought about at
conference of operators, dealers and
consumers was criticised by the sena-
tor. He also Denounced comforting OF
vast powers upon the state fuel ad-
min.strators.
so far as / can learn said Mr..
| Lodge, ''the only qualifications of
these gentlemen is that they should
| b Democrats"
Senator Lodge also warned the SEN
, ate agains- official interference with
what some government bureau may
| decide to be a nonessentiaI industry.
Neither, he said, in conclusion, should
those who criticise government af-
fairs be charged with being friends OF