The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-08-17
GRAvER CONDITIONS
A YEAR A AHEA D ARE
FEARED BY FARMERS
SPOKESMAN WARNS CONGRESS-
COMMITTEES DISTURBED SIT
UATION MUST BE OVERCOME

Washington, Aug. l6.-Warning was
given today by representative farmers
organizations testifying before the
house and senate agriculture commit
tees that unless present disturbed con
ditions resulting from profiteering in
goods and wages and from strikes
were settled soon, the country would
/ face u far worse situation from the
/ high cost of living next year than at
/ present.
/ Farmers, they said were preparing
NV for next years crops and under
present conditions they could not esti-
mate what the probable market would
be. Fear was expressed that there
would be decreased production both on
this account and on account of Presi-
dent Wilson's statement in his mes
sage vetoing the repeal of the day
light saving law. placing industrial
production ahead of farm output,
Worse Condition Predicted.
Unless "capitalistic monopoly" and
rganiZed labor cease profiteering in
goods and wages" the next cyile of
the season will affect a condition OF
living now undreamed of, the senate
and house agriculture committees were
told by j. X. Howard. president Of the
Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. Mr.
Howard appeared as spokesman for
the committee recently appointed at
a conference of farmers from Iowa,
Nebraska, Indiana Ohio and Illinois.
Denying that the farmers were re-
sponsible for present conditions, Mr..
Howard said:
The high cost of living is not due
to lack of desire or effort on the part
of the farmers to produce to the limit
of their physical ability. The farmer
has not struck, walked out, or other
wise slackened in production. He has |
increased his effort, extended his OPP |
erations to the limit of physical abil- |
ity and financial credit and striven |
TO feed the world believing the world
would fairly and gladly recompense
him Instead, he finds those who, in
their eagerness to find an answer
where there is none and to shun the
real facts of the situation. point to him
with scorn and malevolence, saying
Thou art the culprit'
Strikes Add to II. c. l..
"The high cost of living is due to
4 StaSnaIlOn Ill pTOuucllOll Vi iieiiiN
featured goods and prepared foodstuffs.
Every labor strike that shuts down
any plant engaged in the preparation
,f foods. or the making of clothing
hat shuts down the mine or a mill,
adds to the higa cost of living"
Mr.. Howard said the high cost OF !
living was due to "extravagant profit :
If middlemen, failure of the American ,
people to practice even ordinary econ :
my in public and private life" and +
Industrial strikes. Expectation of food !
md clothing, he said, avs no more a
cause than the heavy eX- +
,orts of manufactured goods and ma
hinery, of which the farmer is heavy q
purchaser. s
IN embargo on foodstuffs to bring =.
own the high cost of living he SAID Z
will be as demoraliZing to American a
griculture as the embargo placed on +
oodstuffs was to French agriculture
\ the time of Louis XIV" fl
The house and senate committees q
re considering amendments to the food n
ontrol act, designed to enable the de- a
artment of justice to wage a more V
ctive campaign to prevent boarding to
nd profiteering, and the Joint session Ct
as held to hear the farmers repre- N
entative. The committees hope to
It finally on the amendments next
eek and rush the legislation through
1ngress. n,
Food Seizures Continue. 81
Seizure of foodstuffs held in cold q
orage was continued today by fed a,
al agents in several cities. Further of
izures under libel warrants next ct
eek are expected. and special grand de
ries were summoned in several states SO
hear evidence in cases of alleged TO
,arding and profiteering.
Goods taken over today by the gov
nment included 16, 500, 900 eggs at st.
,uis, 100000 eggs and 100000 sa
,unds Of butter at etrit, and large in
lantities of food at San Diego, Cal. Oc
Announcement was made by the mi
stoffice department that the postage mi
te on surplus army food, sale of Sc
1ich through the parcel post system Ne
IL begin Monday, would be the same of
persons living beyond the first zone in,
,m the supply centers as to those Oh
ing i'm the first zone. This will equal Cc
the postage to all purchasers, ana an
2 difference will be made up by the 8 9
Lr department deducting the extra Te
stage from the sale price and turn we
, it over to the postoffice depart
mt.
Attorney General Palmer today ac-
,ted an invitation to meet with the me
r prise board fNew York. there, Pa
,p1au piuhf fb.