Evening star., 1919-12-02
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radical theories from seething Eu-
ropean centers pending such delay
from heartlees profiteering result
ing in the increase of the cost OF
living. and lastly from the machina-
tiops of passionate and maleVoient
agitators. With the return to nor,
NAL conditions. this unrest Will
rapidly disappear. In the mean
time, it does much evil. 1t seems
to me that in dealing with this SIT
uation Congress should not be i'm
patient or drastic. but should seek
rather to remove the causes.
1t should endeavor to bring our
country back speedily to peace
basis. with ameliorated living con-
ditions under the minimum OF re-
strictions upon personal nDerty
that is consistent with our recon.
struction problems. And it should
arm the federal government with
power to deal in it's criminal courts
with those persons who by violent
methods would abrogate our time
tested institutions. With the free
expression of opinion and with the
advocacy of orderly political
change. however fundamental.
there must be no interference, nut
towards passion and maieVoience
tending to incite crime and insur-
rection under guise Ct political
evolution there should he no len
iency. Legislation to this end has
been recommended by the Attorney
General and should be enacted. In
this direct connection, l would
call your attention to my recon-
mendations on August 8. pointing
out legislative measures wh1ch
would be effective in controlling
and bringing down the present cost
of living, which contributes so
largely to this unrest. On only
one of these recommendations has
the Congress acted. If the gov
ernment's campaign is to be eHec-
tive. it is necessary that the other
steps suggested should be acted
on at once.
Renewed Food Control.
l renew and strongly urge the
necessity of the extension Of the
present food control act as to the
period of time in which it shall re-
main in operation. The Attorney
General has submitted a bill provid-
ing for an extension of this act for
a period of six months. AS it now
stands it is limited in operation to
the period of the war and becomes
imperative upon the formal procla-
nation of peace. 1t is imperative
that it should be extended at once.
The Department of Justice has built
up extensive machinery for the pur-
pose of enforcing it's provisions;
all of which must be abandoned
upon the conclusion of peace unless
the provisions Of this act are ex-
tended.
During this period the Congress
will have an opportunity to make
Sir
regulations with regard to all goods
destined for interstate commerce
and to exclude them from inter-
state shipment, II the requirements
of the law are not complied with.
Some such regulation is Imperative
ly necessary. The abuses that have
grown up in the manipulation of
prices by the withholding of food
stuffs and other necessaries of life
cannot otherwise be effectively pre-
vented. There can be no doubt of
either the necessity or the legiti-
macy of such mea sures.
AS pointed out in my last mes
sage. publicity can accomplish a
great deal in this campaign. The
aims of the government must be
clearly brought to the attention of
the consuming public civic organ
izations and state officials, who are
III d pOSitiOH " leilu lHciT dSSiSA-
ance to our efforts. You have made
available funds with which to
carry on this campaign, but there
is no provision in the law author
izing their expenditure for the pur-
pose of making the public fully
informed about the efforts of the
government. Specific recommenda-
tion has been made by the Attor-
ney General in this regard. would
strongly urge upon you its imme-
diate adoption, as It constitutes one
of the preliminary steps to this
campaign.
Regulation of Cold Storage.
I also renew my recommends
tion that the Congress pass a law
regulating cold storage as it is
regulated, for example. by the laws
of the state of New Jersey, which
limit the time during which goods
may be kept in storage, prescribe
kept beyond the permitted period,
and require that goods released
from storage shall in all cases
bear the date of their receipt. 1t
would materially add to the serv-
iceability of the law, for the pur-
pose we now have in view, If it
were also prescribed that all goods
released from storage for inter-
state shipment should have plainly
marked upon each package the
selling or market price at which
they went into storage. By this
means the purchaser would always
be able to learn what profits stood
between him and the producer or
the wholesale dealer.
I would also renew my recon-
mendation that all goods destined
for interstate commerce should in
every case. where their form or
package makes it possible, be
which they left the hands of the
producer.
We should formulate a law re-
quiring a federal license of all cor
porations engaged in interstate
commerce, and embodying in the liz
cense, or in the conditions under
which it is to be issued. specific
regulations designed to secure
competitive selling and prevent un-
considerable profits in the method
of marketing. Such a law would
afford a welcome opportunity to
effect other much-needed reforms
in the business of interstate ship
ment and in the methods of corpo-
rations which are engaged in it;
but for the moment l confine my
recommendations to the object i'm
mediately in hand, which is to
lower the cost of living.
Improved Labor Conditions.
No one who has observed the
march Of events in the last year
can fail to note the absolute need
ofSa definite program to bring