The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-09

Republican Leader Mondell declared
! In the house today that congress WAS
ready to act promptly on such legisla-
tion as was needed to carry out tne
suggestions made yesterday by Presi-
dent Wilson for reducing the high cost
OF living
Domestic problems now facing the
country may be taken up directly Win
the people by President Wilson during
his forthcoming trip In the interest interest q
/ day at the White House,. where also
was said that plans for the presidents
tour were going forward,
Congress got down to-day TO analy@e
ing and digeating presldsnf MllsonDe
recommendations. Memberso Of the SEN
4 lhgrlcnitural committees, which would
\ nave Iii hand fruminR Of laEislatian 70
extend the food control act ana 70 reg
| ulate storage OF foodstuHs paid par
ticular attention to the presidents ad-
| dress. delivered late yesterday before
a Joint session OF the two houses.
Although neither branch Of congress
was in session today, leaders prepared
to take action at an early ente on
| the living problem. Although SOME
members disagreed with the specific
recommendation Of the president, y
was believed that the prospective legiss
lation generally would follow the pro-
posals he made
Suggestion by the president for fed
eral licensing of all corporations enc
gagged in Interstate commerce ana toI
extension OF the food control law met
with the greatest opposition IN con-
gresSlonal circles. Many OF the oppon-
| ents OF the league OF nations IN the
senate criticised the stress laid by thA
president on early ratification ot the
| peace treaty, some Of them, includine
Chairman Lodge and Senator Hardin9,
Ohio. OF the foreign relations committees
| declaring there was no connection De-
tween ratification of the peace treaty
and the cost OF living -.
The references In the address 70 Lhe
labor leaders and the expressed boiief
that these leaders would yield soon "
second sober thought were appf2ve0
generally by members Of both parties.
Beyond suggesting extension OF the
powers of the food control act, regula
| don OF the storage OF foodstufis ana
SO as to allow the law of supply ana
| demand to operate, the president urgeo
| Legislation for the control OF security
issues and additional appropriations Ior
government agencies to supply the pup
lie with information, as 70 prices pslu
hy retailers for goods. The food con-
troll act, he told congress, should pc ex-
tended to peace times with It's appilca-
| tion covering clothing, fuel ana otnet
neceasaries OF life as we'll as food, ana
| n penalty for hoRrdlns ihseTteu'
Expect New Moves.
New moves by the executive depart
ments OF the government to reduce the
cost OF living were expected today "
be started at once along lines laid down
by the president who promised immedi-
ate steps to limit and control wheat
shipments and credits so as to fachitate
the purchase of wheat with view 70
lowering the price Of flour, to sell sur.
plus government stocks of food ane
clothing and to force withdrawal oE
foodstuffs from storage.
| Coincldent with the presidents ap~
pearance before congress the war de~
partment announced the prices at whtef
Its surplus food stocks would be Solo
1price lists are to be sent to postmaSs
ters throughout the country which tnE
consumers may place their orders W.
RinninR Aug IS. Under the departt
inent's price list. the consumer viii hA
able to buy bacon for rs cents q pound
baked beans for five cents .pounA
flour at Sc per 100 pounds, and oth@
commodities at correSpondingly ~
prices To the prices quoted by q
war department will be added par
most charges from the nearest ART
depot which are to be paid by the
chaser