The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-08-14
WOULD EXTEND
WAR CONTROL
OF ALL FOOD
That. and Provision Of Penalties
for PrOfiteering, Advocated
by the President.
TO FORCE SALE OF SURPLUS
In Address to Congress the Chief Ex-
ecutive Makes Assertion That We
Are Dealing With Very Criti-
cal and Difficult Matters"


hington-AddreSsing congress
and proposing remedies to check the
high cost Of living President Wilson
declared existing laws were made
quate and high prices were not justi-
fed by shortage of supplies, present
or prospective, but were created in
many cases "artifcially and deliber-
ately' by vicious practices"
He spoke practically as follows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress:
have sought this opportunity TO ad-
dress you because II is clearly my duty
90 call your attention TO the present cost
OF living and to urge upon you with all
the persuasive force Of which am capable
the legislative measures which would be
most effective in controlling it and bring
ing 1t down
The prices the people Of this country are
paving FOR everything that IT is necessary
for them to use in order TO live are not
justified by a shortage In supply, either
present or prospective, and are In many
cases artidgially and deliberately created
by vicious practices which ought imme-
d.ately 10 De checked by law.
Profiteers Lawbreakers.
Some Of the methods boy which these
prices are produced are already Illegal
some Of them criminal, and those who
employ them will be cuergetirally pro
rccded against. But others have not yet
been brought under the law. and should
be dealt with AZ once by legislation.
With the increase In the prices OF the
necessaries Of life come demands for in
creases IN wages demands which are
justified II there be no other means Of
enabling men to live.
Upon the increase Of wages there fol-
lows close an increase in the price OF the
products whose producers have been ac-
corded the increa-e-not a propOrtionate
increase for the manufacturer does not
content himself with that, but an in
crease considerably greater than the
added wage cost and for which the added
wage cost is oftentimes hardly more than
an excuse.
The laborers who do not get an increase
IN pay when they demand II are likely
20 strike, and the strike only makes mat
tera worse.
II checks productions II It affects the
railways It prevents distribution and
strips the markets SO that there is pres
emily nothing 10 buy, and there is another
EXCESSIVE addition 10 prices resulting from
the scarcity
Conditions Not Natural"
These are facts and forces with which
we have become only too familiar. but
We are not justified because OF our famil-
iarity with them or because of any hasty
and shallow conclusion that they are
natural" and inevitable, in sitting mac
lively by and letting them work their fa-
tal results II there Is anything that we
can do ia check, correct or reverse them.
We must ! think frankly admit that
there is no complete immediate remedy
10 be had from legislation and executive
action The free processes of supply and
demand win not operate of themselves,
and no legislative or executive action can
force them into fun and natural operation
until there Is peace.
Must Know Terms of Peace.
There can be no confidence in indus
try, no Calculable basis for credits. no
confident buying Of systematic selling.
no certain prospect Of employment. no
normal restoration Of business. no
hopeful attempt at reconstruction or "A
proper rcasscmbling OF the dlslocated
elements of enterprise untll peace has
been established, aud, so far ass may be-.
guaranteed. our national life has no
doubt been less radically disturbed and
dismemhered than the national life of
other peoples whom the war more d.
rectlr affected. with all it's terrible
ravaEIug and destructive force hut M
has been nevertheless profoundly af-
footed and disarranRcd. ana our indus
tries. our credits. our productive Dd-
paritv. our economic processes are I'M
eytrlrahly Interviewer with those Of
other nations ana peoples most iut
matciv OF AID with the nations and peo-
pies upon whom the chief burden and
confusion OF the war Fell and who
are now most dependent upon the CO..