Cheyenne record., 1919-08-14

time to restrain profteering and put
the life of our people upon a tolerable
footing will be makeshift and provi-
sional There can be no settled condi-
tion here or elsewhere until the treaty
OF peace is out of the way AMI the
work of liquidating the war has be-
come the chief concern Of our govern
ment and of the other governments Of
the world.
Europe will not. cannot recoup her
capital or put her restless distracted
peoples to work until she knows exact
ly where she stands in respect to
peace; and what we will do is for her
the chief question upon which her qui
pose depends. While there is any pos
ability that the peace terms may be
changed Or may be held long in abey
ance, or may not be enforced because
| or divisions of opinion among the pow
| ers associated against Germany it is
idie TO look for permanent relief.
Immediate Relief Measures.
By way of immediate relief, surplus
stocks of both food and clothing in the
hands or the government will be sold and
| OF course sold at prices at which there
| Is no profit And by way of a more per-
fhanent correction of prices surplus
| STOCKS In private hands will be drawn out
OF storage and put upon the market For
| tunately under the terms of the food-con-
| troll act the boarding of foodsturs can
| be checked and prevented, and they will
| be, with the greatest energy. Foodstuffs
| can be drawn out of storage and sold by
| legal action which the department of
Jusuce Will institute wherever necessary;
but as soon as the situation is systema IT,
| cally dealt with it is not likely that the
courts Will often have to be resorted to-
| Much of the accommodating of stocks has
no doubt been due to the sort of specu-
| lation which always results from uncer-
| tainty.
Would Have Prices Plainly Marked.
l would also recommend that 1t be
| required that all goods destined for in
terState commerce should in every case
| where their form or package makes 1t
possible be plainly marked with the
| price at which they left the hands of
| the producer. Such requirement
| would bear a close analogy to certain
provisions of the pure food act. by which
| 1t is required that certain detailed in
formation be given on the labels of
packages of foods and drugs.
And it does not seem to me that we
could confine ourselves to detailed
| measures of this kind. if it is indeed
our purpose to assume national control
of the processes of distribution. 1
| take 1t for granted that that is our
purpose and our duty. Nothing less
will suffice. We need not hesitate to
handle national question in a ma
| tional way. We should go beyond the
|
| formulate a law requiring a federal
| license Of all corporations engaged in
| Interstate commerce and embodying in
| the license. or in the conditions under
which 1t is to be Issued. specific regu
| lations designed to secure competitive
| selling and prevent unconsciona BILE
profits in the method of marketing
Law Would Do Much.
Such a law would afford a welcome op-
portunity to effect other much-needed re-
| forms in the business of interstate ship
| ment and In the methods of corporations
| which are engaged in it; but for the mo-
| ment confine my recommendations to the
object Immediately in hand, which Is to
| lower the cost of living.
We are dealing. gentlemen of the con-
| gress, l need hardly say. with very critical
| and very difficult matters. We should go
! forward with confidence along the road
we see but we should also seek to COM
prehend the whole of the scene amidst
| which we act There Is no ground for
some of the fearful forecasts l hear ut
tered about me. but the condition of the
world is unquestionably very grave and
We should face it comprehendingly The
| SITUATION OF our own country is excep-
tionately fortunate. We of all peoples
can AFFORD to keep our heads and to de-
termine upon moderate and sensible
| courses of action which will insure US
against the passions and dIstempers which
are working such deep unhappiness for
some of the distressed nations on the
| other side of the sea-
But we may be involved In their dis
| treSSeS unless we help and helm with on
| ergy and intelligence
Disregarding the surplus stock in the
| hands of the government. there was a
greater supply of foodstufrs in this coun-
try on June l of this year than at the
| same date last year In the combined to-
tai of a number of the most important
foods in dry and cold storage the excess
is quite 10 per cent And yet prices have
| risen.
Law Department Active.
The attorney general has been making
a careful study of the situation as a
| whole and of the laws that can be np-
| piled to better 1t and is convinced that
| under the stimulation and temptation of
exceptional circumstances, combina tons
| of producers and combinations of traders
| have been formed for the control of SUD-
| plies and of prices which are clearly in
| restraint of trade. and against these pros
| ecutions will be promptly instituted and
actively pushed which will in all likeli-
| hood have prompt corrective effect
| There is reason to believe that the prices
| of leather. of coal. of lumber and of tex
| tiles have been materially affected by
| forms of concert and co-operati ton among
| the producers and marketers of these and
| other universally necessary commodities
| which it will be possible to redress. No
| watchful energetic effort will be
| spared to accomplish this necessary re-
| suit. l trust that there will not be many
| cases In which prosecution will be neces-
| sary. Public action will no doubt cause
many who have perhaps unwittingly
adopted illegal methods to abandon them
promptly and of their own motion
| Retailers in Part to Blame.
| There can be little doubt that retail
ers are in part-sometimes in large
| part-responsible for exorbitant prices
and 1t is quite practicable for the gov
ernment through the agencies l have
| mentioned. to supply the. public with
| full Information to the prices at
| which retailers buy and as to the costs
| of transportation they pay in order
| that 1t may be known just what mar
gin of profit they are demanding Opin-
| ion and concerted action on the part of
| purchaSerS can Drobably do tho ra~t