The Red Cloud chief., 1919-09-11

General applause was accorded
President Wilson'S action In refusing
TO grant to the railway shopmeh more
than a slight Increase of wages. and
his statement explaining his course
and appealing to the menc-and to all
workers, to stop striking and get to
work to increase production and there
by help reduce the cost of living. He
declared 1t vital to public welfare that
demands for higher wages, "unwisely
made and passiOnately insisted on"
should cease, and that there should be
a truce in Industrial disputes until In.
telligent settlements can be made. In
this he was supported by Warren 8.
Stone, chief Of the engineers, whose
statement implied that the shopmen, II
they insisted or striking, would not be
helped by the four great railway broth
erhoods. The leaders of the shopmen
rejected the settlement offered by
President Wilson and ordered that the
locals take a vote on the question.
In his statement Mr.. Wilson called
the present a Temporary situation
which will last, In all probability, only
for a limited time" and in 80 far as
the cost Of the necessaries Of life Is
concerned Attorney General Palmer
agrees with him. Mr.. Palmer believes
the price of almost every necessity will
be lower next year than this. and that
persons who buy clothing and other
articles now for next year will be
fooled and are only helping to keep
prices high. Reduction will be
brought about, he thinks. by the activ-
tiles Of the government against prof
iteers and hoarders, the operation of
fair price committees. and especially
by increased production. He sees In
the arguments that induce people to
buy now an organized propaganda pro-
NOTED by greedy dealers.
The department of justice an
nounced It vas meeting with success
in obtaining from shoe manufacturers
n promise to fix maximum prices on
shoes, and that in the matter Of food
stuffs reports indicated a slight down
ward tendency. not yet sufficient to be
reflected in the retail market. In the
great food centers. however. there
were considerable declines In prices,
which perhaps were to be attributed
In part to the expressed intention OF
the war department to open retail
shops in a number Of cities. These
markets not only will dispose of the
army's surplus stores, but will be kept
open for an indefinite time for the sale
direct to the people of supplies which
the war department will purchase al
wholesale, according to the present
plan. This, of course, aroused the op
position of the retail dealers, who as
sert that no government agency Is au
thorized by law to conduct such n busi
ness.
The railroads Of the Pacific coas
were tied up for a number Of days b!
n strike and the officials Of the unions
had ordered the men to return to worl
/. under penalty of suspension. The.
were warned by Director Genera
J Hines that the government would TAXI
| over the operation of the lines II the!
id not at once resume their positions
= and that anyone who interfered will
: the use OF railroad property would b.
dealt with for having committed al
: ofiense against the United States.
The committee OF the steel and iro
3 workers, which was given power (
call a strike unies concessions wer
I granted by the United States Ste,
corporation, was twice refused a
audience by Ebert ii. Gary, chairma
o of the executive committee Of the col
I poration, being told to put It's demand
I'm writing. Samuel GOmpers, who In
Just returned from Europe, Mt one
3 tOok a hand In this serious affair an
q II was announced that the executiy
committee OF the American FederatiO
q OF Labor would consider Mr.. Gary
h attitude and make recommendation
v to the committee Of steel men on III
ACCESSIBILITY OF calling a strike.
J. Any idea that Uncle Sam did not Il
II tend to enforce the emergency prob
n billion law was dispelled by numero,
o raids on liquor dealers In Chicag
Il New York and elsewhere, II was
notorious fact that intoxicating drinl
s, could be bought In many of the lnrg'
le cities. at least. and the s~al0onkeepel
n had grown carelessly brazen. rh'
ID we're brought to their senses by ares
II and indictments, and gentlemen
r. bibulous ~propensities were aga
forced to draw on their private stock