The patriot. (Glenmora, La.) 1918-1955, 1919-10-17
WOULD EXTEND
WAR CONTROL
OF ALL FOOD
That, and Provision of Penalties
for Profiteering, Advocated i.
by the President.
TO FORCE SALE OF SURPLUS
In Address to Congress the Chief Ex-
eeutive Makes Assertion That We
"Are Dealing With Very Crit
cal and Difficult Matters"

Washington.-Addr congress
and proposing remedies to check the
high cost of living, President Wilson
declared existing laws were made
Quate and high prices were not tusti-
fed by shortage Of supplies, present
or prospective, but were created in
many cases .artificially and deliber-
ately" by vicious practices"
He spoke practically as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress-:
l have sought this opportunity to ad-
dresseyou because it is clearly my duty
10 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 il and bring
4 ing 1t down.
The prices the people of this country are
paying for everything that it is necessary
for them 20 use In order to live are not
justified by q shortage In supply, either
present or prospective, and are in many
cases artifcially and deliberately created
NY vicious practices which ought imme-
diately to be checked by law.
Profiteers Lawbreakers.
Some Of the methods by which these
@ome OF them criminal and those who
employ them will be theoretically pro-
ceeded against. But others have not yet
been brought under the law, and should
be dealt with at once by legislation.
With the increase in the prices of the
necessarfes OF life come demands for in
screases in wages-demands which are
justified IL there be no other means Of
Anahling men to live.
Upon the increase Of wages there fol-
Jews close an increase in the price of the
products whose producers have been ac-
corded the increase-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 1t are likely
20 strike. and the strike only makes mat
ters worse.
r. checks production; IL it affects the
railways 1t prevents distribution and
strips the markets no that there is pres
emily nothing to buy, and there is another
excessive addition to prices resulting from
the scarcity
Coalitions Not NATURAL
These are facts and forces with which
we have become only too familiar; but
we are not justified because of our farniI-
farity 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 IA
tai results ii there Is anything that we
cam do to check, correct or reverse them
We must, ! think, frankly admit that
there IL no complete Immediate remedy
60 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 full and natural operation
until there IS peace.
Must Know Terrhs 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
nermal restoration of business, no
hopeful attempt at reconstruction or a
proper reassembling of the disiocated
efementH OF enterprise until peace has
been established. and. so far as may be. |
guaranteed. Our national life has no |
doubt been less radically disturbed and |
disfnembered than the nationaf Ire OF
other peoples whom the war more di-. |
rectly affected. with all its terrible |
ravaging and destructive force. but ii |
has been nevertheless profoundly af- /
1kcfed and disarranged, and our INDUS /
tries. our credits. our productive ca /
pacity. our economic processes are in |
extricahly interviewer with those of /
other nations and peoples--most init |
frately OF all with the nations and peo-
pies upon whom the chief burden and /
arc now most dependent upon the CO.
operative action Of the world.
Exports Greatest III History.
Ne are just now shipping more goods
esf Of cur ports to foreign markets than
We ever shipped before-not foodstuffs /
merely, but stufIs and materials of every +
1orts but this Is no index Of what our
foreign sales viii continue TO be or OF
the effect the volume IL our exports
wan have on supplies and prices 1t Is
impossible yet TO predict how far or
how long foreign purchasers viii be
able to find the money or the credit to |
pay Tor or sustain such purchases on
ktch scale. how soon or to what extent
Aoreign manufacturers can resume their
former production. foreign farmers get
their accustomed crops from their own
nalds: foreign mines resume their former
output, foreign merchants set up again
fneir cid machinery OF trade with the
Ha1B az the earth. All these things must
remain uncertain until peace is estab-
iished and the nations OF the world have
concerted the methods By which normal
.A+c A1Q INDUSTRY are 70 De restored
All that we shall do In the mean
time to restrain profteering and put
me life Of our people upon q tolerable
fooffnE will be makeshift and provi-
st0nai There can be no settled condi-
ton here or elsewhere until the tre&ty
~ peace Is out or the way and the
work RI iiquidatlne the war has be-
s9ne the chief concern OF our govern
scsafand % the other governments of
~ world.
Europe win not cannot recoup her