The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-08-19
"PROFiTEERING" AND THE
REMEDY THEREFOR

That there is much of what Is
called "profiteering' there is no
doubt There always has been, and
there always will be so long as there
are men greedy for exorbitant profits
in other words, so long as human
nature is what it is. The only diff
ference between this and former
times is that opportunities have been
greater and more alluring during the
war than ever before. But much of
what the government may be pleased
to call "profiteering" is merely pru-
dent provision against future necessi-
ties. We believe that is largely so in
Tampa where the government sleuths
have libelled stocks in the hands of
the wholesalers. The latter claim
their stocks are no larger than they
commonly are at this time of year,
and no larger than their trade justi-
fies The claim seems to be justified
by the fact, and yet these men who
are among our best citizens have been
stigmatized as "profteers" and their
legitimate trade interfered with.
These men have been prominent in
every patriotic work, giving freely Of
their time and money, and even Of
their sons and near relatives to the
great cause which the nation had at
heart. In any lesser power than that
of the United States government such
action would be called base ingrati-
tude.
After all profteering is but a symp-
tom and not the disease itself. In at
tempting to break 1t up by such meas
ures the government is not going to
the root Of the trouble. The United
States government is the great exem-
plar and original of the profiteering
gang. In holding the price of wheat
up to height not warranted by the
production, to save itself an inevita-
BILE loss in carrying out its contract
with the farmers, 1t is simply doing
! what the profiteer does when he
marks up his goods knowing he can
not replace them at the former price.
In maintaining the price Of wheat at
an unnatural level, the government is
simply laying foundation for the en-.
tire profiteering game. Corn and all
manner of feed stuffs advance with
wheat, and these again have their In.
fuence upon the stock feeders and
raisers who must have more for their
hogs and cattle, and so it goes
through the whole gamut until II
reaches the ultimate consumer who
clamors for higher wages to meet the
increased cost Of living. Higher wages
only increase the cost of living and
make the vicious circle" complete.
The government campaign against
profiteering should begin at home. Lei
it take its heavy hand off the wheat
market and let that grain sell for its
normal price in the open market. II
it sells for $1.50, or even 81 the public
will be the gamer, not only in cheap
er bread, but in cheaper meats, and
lower prices for everything which en-
ters into the cost of living. If the
government sustains loss by the
operation, let it make it up by tax
alton which shall bear more evenly
upon the wealth of the country. AS
it is, the great part of the burden Is
carried by the wage Garner, the mar
in moderate circumstances, and the
NEEDY and destitute. No wonder they
are finding il insupportable and are
howling for relief. Advancing wages
will not give relief, it will only aggra
vate the trouble. We cannot always
live on the high levels. We must gel
down to earth once more out of the
clouds in which we have been floating
and thinking ourselves prosperous. 1
will be long and wearisome process
that of adjusting ourselves to con
stantly declining markets, but it hai
got to come, and the quicker we max,
up our minds to it, the better, and th'
sooner it will be over.