The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-02-27
FIXING 4
FAILURE, SAYS
SENATOR LODGE

Washington, Feb. 27-Government
price fixing as method of prevent
ing 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 ana
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 senator explained, "the funda-
mental error of the administration
was that a policy for all of fixing
prices-declared a failure in both
Germany and France-was adopted,
instead of one of stimulating and in
creasing production"
Blame for the coal shortage Sena-
tor Lodge laid to the fuel administra-
tons price fixing plan, together with
railroad difficulties and the closing
order he described as "a complete
confession of impotence and failure"
| He denounced the fuel administration
| as an unnecessary agency which
| was composed largely of amateurs"
/ 1.-THE result of the fuel administra-
| tons policy" he said, was to add to
| the already enormous railroad diff
| culties by creating chaos in distribu-
ton and adding to all this suspense,
alarm and uncertainty due to fixing
an arbitrary price.
| 1.-THE system adopted by Mr..
Hoover had at least the merit of
maintaining production. The system
! of making a different coal price at
each mine was impracticable. Even
if they kept prices down, which is
purely guesswork, they brought a coal
famine with this nominal fixed price"
Declaring he did not believe the
railroad problem could not have
been solved, Genator Lodge continued:
But nothing can be more certain
than that the policy of the fuel ad-
ministration, its attempt to substitute
a new scheme of distribution its reck-
less price fixing, brought on a coal
famine in a country which has more
coal than any in the world.
what we needed was not shut
! ting down of industries; a freight en-
barge on all railroads (the fuel ad-
ministration policy is a striking evil
dence of how much harm has been
done by paralyzing private interests
and undertaking to solve the difficult
ties by one bureau composed largely
of amateurs.
There was no need of the fuel adj
mnistration, no reason why it should
exist at all. It's powers, however
amiable and patriotic the purposes of
their possessor, have been employed
to make a bad situation worse and
do nothing but harm. The vital point
of the whole coal situation was the
railroad problem
Either Secretary Lane or Francis S.
Peabody, Senator Lodge said, should
have charge of the coal situation.
Annulment by Secretary Baker of the
agreement MIR. Lane brought about at
a conference of operators, dealers and
consumers was criticised by the SEN
ator. He also denounced comforting
of vast powers on state fuel admins
traitors.
80 far as I can learn, said Mr..
~AA~'>
gentlemen is that they should be
Democrats.
Senator Lodge also warned the sen
ate against official interference with
what some government bureau may
decide to he a non-essential industry
Neither, he said, in conclusion, should
those who criticise government affairs
be charged with being friends of Ger
many.
II think it will be wise to omit at
lacks on patriotism of men merel!
because we differ from them as to the
manner in which the war is conduct
ed" he said Patriotism is not con-
fined to those appointed to more OF
less important offices in Washington
There is a tendency to make the tes
of patriotism a blind unquestonlne
s support not only of the president him
, self but of every one he sees tit to ap
S point. 1t is our duty to support the
n president, but never beyond what ou
:. conscientious convictions of duty u
dnT11