The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-08-23
G. 0. P. SAYS THAT
WILSON HAS POWER


The Republican Publicity Associa-
ton has given out the following state
ment from its Washington headquar-
ters:
I'm his address to Congress on high
prices. President Wilson promised 10
do five things. and asked Congress TO
do seven things. He promised to sell
at cost surplus food and clothing ! n
the hands Of the government; to limit
wheat exports; to remove supplies
from storage and put them on the
market; prosecute traders who seek
to control supplies and prices; and to
expose ~profteering retailers. These
promises were made just nine months
after the disbanding Of the food ad-
ministration by Herbert Hoover, who
made his farewell address to that
body the day following the signing OF
the armistice.
why the food administration was
30 hastily disbanded has been some
thing of a mystery to the American
people, for If its function was ever
to be the securing of fair prices for
the necessities Of life, certainly 1t
would have discovered its greatest
opportunities when the hazards Of
war no longer kept the profiteer in
conscience bound to deal fairly with
the consuming public. Commenting
on Mr.. Hoover's address. in which he
outlined the food prospects for 1919.
the Republican Publicity Association,
as far back as December S, 1918, de-
clared:
1.-The question of continuing for a
brief period some sort of food regu-
lation is one which will present itself
to a Republican Congress for decis-
ion. If the Department of Agricul-
ture, under Houston. should fall heir
to that function, politics in the matter
of food would be rampant up to 1920,
with the result that exports and do
nestle consumption would be greatly
d~emoralized. Doubtless the present
food administration would be a more
trustworthy agent to guard against
~profteering and speculation for the
next year, because conscious of its
| approaching demise there would not
be the incentive to political intrigue
which might actuate Mr.. Houston'g
department
But President Wilson refused sor
more than two precious months to
convene the Republican Congress.
There is nothing to prevent him from
keeping his five promises. He alone
has been responsible for the delay in
putting them into effect long before
now.
THE President asked Congress TO
extend the life of the present food
control act and include other COM
modities; to exclude goods from in
terstate commerce If law is not COM
piled with; to impose a penalty for
profiteering; to limit the cold storage
period; to require price marks on
storage goods; to require producers
price marks On interstate goods: and
TO license and regulate corporations
engaged in interstate commerce IN
prevent 'unconscionable profits He
then attempts to make the regime OF
high prices a vehicle for hustling the
peace treaty through the Senate, de-
claring there can be no peace prices
so long as our whole financial and
economic system is on a war basis.
When the peace is signed we arc
promised relief.
Then. why extend the life of the
f~ood-control act beyond the time wher
Mr.. Wilson proclaims peace? And
that is the tenure of life guaranteed
it in the organic act. That act was
exactly what he asked for. Why wal
the food administration permitted tt
lapse during these critical months
The truth of the matter Is. Mr.. Wilson
has pretty nearly all the authority
required now at his command to carry
out his program. He can no more
pass the buck to Congress with re
spect to food conditions than he coult
respecting railroad conditions. Blu
the Republican Congress may be re
} lied upon to do what it decently car
to pull him out OF the muddle IL
which. after seven months inatten
ton to domestic affairs, he discover
himself"