Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-02-28
PRICE FIXING
fcon+,nued from PAGE One)

administrator, SeHdtoi i1"u6S
They fixed a price which mdoe ~
impossible to work many mines. 1rieh'-
ened the producers and tended 10 re-
Guce production.
Not content with this, they also set 10
work 10 change the whole system Oh ais
tribution. No more reckless EXPERIMENT.
col.ld have been better calculated 10 llahe
railroad difficulties almost insuperaple' Az
a single blow they partially paralszeu
all the machinery of distribution. only
ignorance of economic laws could De OIL
fe"ed as an excuse.
Added to Railroad Difficulties
.'The result of the fuel admnistra ton
nolicv was to add to the already enor-
NOUS railroad difficulties by creating
or aos in distribution and adding to all
this suspense, alarm and uncertainty que
10 fixing an arbitrary price
THE system adopted by Mr. Hoover
had at least the merit of maintaining pro-
duction The system of making a different
coal price at each mine was impracti-
cable. Even if they kept prices down
which is purely guesswork, they brought
coal famine with this nominal hXed
price"
Declaring the railroad problem could
have been solved. Senator Lodge contin-
ued But nothing can be more certain
than that the policy of the fuel admins
tration, its attempt to substitute a new
scheme Of distribution, its reckless price
fixing brought on a coal famine In a
country which has more coal than any
in the world.
What we needed was not a shutting
domn of industries, but a freight embar-
go on all railroads (the fuel admnistra-
ticn policy, IS a striking evidence Of how
r.uch harm has been done by paralyzlng
private interests and undertaking to
solve the difficulties by one bureau COM
posed largely of amateurs.
There was no need of the fuel adj
nnistration, no rea son why it should ex-
Isl at all, and its powers, however amia-
BILE and patriotic the purposes of their
possessor have been employed to make
a bad situation worse and do nothing
buE harm. The vital point of the whole
cca' situation was the railroad problem -
Either Secretary Lane or Francis S.
Peabody. Senator Lodge said. should
have had charge of the coal situation.
Annulment by Secretary Baker of the
agreement Mr.. Lane had brought about
at conference of operators, dealers
and consumers. was criticized by the
Senator. He also denounced comforting
of vast powers upon state fuel admin
istrators.
so far as | can learn" the senator
added. "the only qualification of these
gentlemen j.: that they should be Dem
ocrats."
Mr.. Lodge warned the Senate against
official interference with what some
government bureau might decide to be
a non essential industry Neither. he
said, in conclusion. should those who
criticize government affairs be charged
with being friends Of Germany.
Limit Attacks on Patriotism
II think it will be wise to limit at
lacks upon patriotism of men merely
because We differ from them as to the
manner in which the war is being con
quoted, ne 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 a blind, unquestionine
support not only of the President him
self. but of everyone he sees fit to ap-
point 1t is our duty to support the
President, but never beyond what our
conscientious convictions of duty to the
country and the cause demand"