Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1919-08-16
President Addresses Congress on
Cost of Living and tie Pos
sibIe Remedies.
PACKERS TO Be PROSECUTED
General Campaign 10 Started Against
Profiteers-Raiiway Unions De-
mand More Pay, Urge the
Plumb Plan and Threaten
to Strike.
BY EDWARD W. PIcKARD.

The open season for profiteers has
come. If there is a bright spot In the
worlds sky, that is 1t. For the rest
the clouds are black enough to suit
the most confirmed pessimist.
Government officials, Investigating
bodies, individual economists-all have
been earnestly seeking for the prime
causes Of the high cost Of living. The
cold-blooded, greedy profiteer who bat
tens on the misfortunes Of the people
Is the most easily discerned Of those
causes and is going to be the first to
be dealt with. All the sympathy he
gets must come from himself.
President Wilson appeared before
congress Friday and delivered schOl-
arly essay on the subject, which In
cluded various recommendations for
legislative action, and told what the
government already is doing in the
way of curbing the operations Of the
profteers. He urged the permanent
extension of the food control act,
law regulating cold storage, law re-
curing that all goods entering inter-
state shipment be marked with the
producers price, prompt enactment OF
the pending capital issues bill, and,
what seems to the writer most impor-
tant of all, the passage of law re-
quiring federal licensing Of all corpor-
atoms engaged in interstate commerce.
The president did not overlook the
opportunity to push the immediate
ratification Of the peace treaty and
league covenant. He devoted much OF
his message to assertions, in varied
form, that until peace is established
only provisional and makeshift results
can be accomplished in the way of re-
ducing living costs. There can be no
settled conditions anywhere In the
world, he declared. until the treaty is
out of the way. Such views did not meet
with the approval Of most of the Re-
publican congressman, and their indig-
nation was aroused by the fact that
| the president used the domestic Issue
as weapon in the contest over the
| League of Nations.
Most prominent of the alleged prof1t.
GERS are the Chicago packers, the big
Ave" who are reputed to control much
| Of the worlds food supplies. Some
time ago they were investigated by the
federal trade commission and that body
made a report that was bitterly at
tackled by the defenders of the pack
ers. Now with that report as basis
President Wilson has directed the de-
partment Of justice to institute at once
civil and criminal proceedings against
the big five. The attorney general stat
ed that he was satisfied the evidence
developed indicated clear violation
Of the antitrust laws, and that Isadol
J, Kresel of New York was in charge
Of the prosecution. The packers are
to be accused Of unfairly and Illegally
using their power to manipulate live
stock markets. to restrict interstate
and international supplies Of foods. t.
control the prices of dressed meats
and other foods, to defraud both thu
producers and the consumers of foods
to crush competition, to secure specia
privileges from railroads, stock yards
companies and municipalities. and II
profiteer. The department Of justice
will proceed against them not only TO
violation Of the antitrust laws hut als'
under the provisions of the food law O
1918 against the boarding Of food.
As for the heads Of the big packing
companies. some Of them profess 4
welcome the legal action as giving then
| a chance to demonstrate to the nubli
their innocence. harmlessness and help
lessness. and all Of them repeat thci
oft heard nrotestations thnt thav ar