Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1919-08-14
MAY EXTEND WAR
CONTROL Of FOOD
Punish the Profiteers, Is Plea of
the President.
ASKS RELIEF FOR PEOPLE
Warning of Move to Boost Prices
Higher-ReguIation of Cold Stor-
age and Direct Government
Sales Recommended.

washington, aug. 9.-1IeSIueul VIII
son. in his address to congress, ut
tered the following striking sentences:
Peace.
"Politically, economically, socially,
the world is on the operating table,
and If he's not been possible to admin
lister any anaeSthetic. It is conscious.
It even watches the capital operation
upon which it knows that it's hope Of
healthful life depends. 1t cannot
think it's business out or make plans
or give intelligent and provident di-
rection to it's affairs while in such a
case.
"While there is any possibility that
the peace terms may be changed or
may be held long in allegiance or may
not be enforced because OF divisions
of opinion among the powers assO-
ciated against Germany, it is idle to
look for permanent relief.
boarding.
"By way of immediate relief, sur
plus stocks of both food and clothing
in the hands of the government will be
sold, and, of course, sold at prices at
which there is no profit. And by way
of a more permanent correction of
prices, surplus stocks in private hands
will be drawn out Of storage and put
upon the market.
FORTUNATELY, under the terms OF the
food control act the boarding OF food
stuffs can be checked and prevented,
and they will be, with the greatest en-
ergy. Foodstuffs can be drawn out of
storage and sold by legal action. which
the department of justice will institute
wherever necessary.
"Dsregarding the surplus stocks in
the hands of the government. there
was /; grea er supply of foodstutfs in
the country on June l of this year
than at the same time last year.
81 earnestly recommend that the con-
gress pass a law regulating cold stor-
age as it is regulated, for example, by
the laws of the state of New Jersey,
which limit the time during which
goods may be kept in storage, and pre-
scribe methods of disposing of them.
Profteers.
Some of the methods by which
these prices are produced are already
illegal, some of them criminal, and
those who employ them will be ener-
getically proceeded against, but others
have not yet been brought under the
law, and should be dealt with at once
by legislation.
"There can be little doubt that re-
tailers are in part--sOmetimes in large
part - responsible for eXorbitant
prices; and it is quite practicable for
the government to supply the public
with full information as to the prices
at which retailers buy and as to the
costs of transportation they pay, in
order that it may be known just what
margin of profit they are demanding.
Europe.
"In saving Europe America will save
herself, as she did upon the battle
fields of the war. If only in our own
interest, we must help the people over
seas. There is no such thing as let
ting her 90 to ruin without ourselves
sharing in the disaster.
"Wheat shipments and credits to IA
cilitate the purchase of our wheat can
and will be limited and controlled in
such a way as not to raise but rather
to lower the price of flour here
Labor.
II believe that the more extreme
leaders of organized labor will pres
emily yield to a sober second thought,
and, like the great mass Of their as
sociates, think and act like true Amer
leans. They will see that strikes I'M
dertaken at this critical time are GER
tain to make matters worse not bet
ter--worse for them and for everybody
else.
mo remedy is possible while men
are in a temper, and there can be no
settlement which does not have as it's
motive and standard the general in
tereSt.
81 believe, as l have hitherto had
occasion to say to the congress, that
the industry and life of our people
and of the world will suffer irrepar
able damage if employers and work
men are to go on in a perpetual con-
test as antagonists. They must. on
one plane or another be effectively as
eoo;ofod ="