Republican farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1810-1920, 1918-03-01
PRICE FIXING A
FAILURE, SAYS
SENATOR LODGE

Washington, Feb. 27-Governrnent
price fixing as a 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 curtal 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.
'"To 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 4 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 Senator 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.
| w A1eI we H66u6u was NOT a
ting down of industries; q freight en-
! barge on all railroads (the fuel ad-
ninistration 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. Its powers, however
arniable 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 Mr.. Lane brought about a.
a conference of operator dealers an6
CONSUMERS was criticised by the SEN
ator. He also denounced comforting
of vast powers on state fuel admins.
traitors
80 far as can learn, said Mr.
hOUS0, IllS OIlly QudtI1lCdlBOH OL Ll6St
gentlemen is that they should b
Democrats
Senator Lodge also warned the sen
ate against official interference will
what some government bureau ma!
decide to be a non-essential industry
Neither, he said, in conclusion, SHOULD
those who criticise government affair
be charged with being friends of Ger
many.
81 think it will be wise to omit at
tacks on patriotism Of men mereI
because we differ from them as to th'
manner in which the war is conduct
ed" he said Patriotism is not con
fined to those appointed to more o
: less important offices in Washington
There is a tendency to make the ties
of patriotism a blind unquestioninE
support not only Of the president him
self but of every one he sees fit to ap
point. It is our duty to support thu
president, but never beyond what gu
conscientious convictions of duty tt
the country and the cause demand