davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
4 Frigh,fuI Ogre

THE high cost Of living Is rising a
a frghtful ogre to disturb the dreams
of the gentlemen VINO were mounting
sweet phrases last year aboIt the bless
ings they were going 10 bring 10 man
kind. A large part OF the man power
and industrial resources OF some Of the
leading nations had been devoted from
two to five years TO producing means
of killing and destruction. The pro-
duction of necessities wa curtalled.
rationing Of roodstutfs became the
rule. and all efforts were de- oted 70
war. The capitalist order is now faced
with soaring prices and prci,eerlng.
strikes and unrest. that are quite out
Of tune with the song Of tho govern
mcnts last year.
the railroad brothern 30 ia' repre-
sentativcs tell the Prcsiden. tnat an
upheavai' is nearer ir tiis csuntrv
than ever before and for 'ac moment
TINS situation occupies tne Headlines
o. tho daiios. Hoover may be ,ccalle d
to take charge of tte ,i.ua'ion A
grave Senator sees RED md asserts trat
prodteerlns IS product ve OF Boshe-
vism and anarchism
Some relief may he afforded TO the
millions or the robhoa. but so long as
ownership of the solrces Of supply and
manufacture Of fooas:9@> and neces-
sites is vested in ca,.sa.iat owners no
complete solution of trls swindling VIII
De found The crin.e ies IN the idiocy
. m:tting tiny minority Of the
population to own the sources of
supp.. an4 ,nanufacture for their per-
sona. enrichment The ill-paid labor
Of milhons leaps cp vast quantities Of
necessities ah'ch are taken by the own
err wae turn. pr. upon the neces-
stiles ~ nc masses. The owners have
the power to gouge and swindo and
they exercise the power. Private prop
erty in the means OF production and
dlstri button is revealed as curse.
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
W0rld Wheot
The Railroad Mems Drire
THURSDAY, JULY 81

Warren S. Stone. grand chief of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers told President Wilson thai dc
gineers were obliged to again request
the mounting cost Of living but that they believed the
true remedy to be reduction the Of living A
widespread spirit of among all classes he
asserted
FRIDAY. AUGUST
William G. Lee, president of the Brotherhood of Rail
ranmen announced that unless the railroad amnistra
ton acted by October to wages Of the
Of living had been reduced steps enforce demand
would be taken. He asserted that upheaval the
ton than before.
SUNDAY. AUGUST
A bill for the government ownership Of railroads
introduced the House by Representative Sims of Ten
embodying the Plumb plan ndorsed by the four
railroad brothehoods and the American Federation Labor
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5
The railway chief declared in that the
Plumb plan be applied only railroads. but all
basic industries such the COAL steel and packing
(The cost of living discussed this page The Plumb plan
and other aspects Of the railroad problem discussed
g and S)
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

price of 1926 bushel. The loss to
the government would be met out of
the proceeds of taxation, but such a
policy is justified by its advocates on
the ground that something drastic
must be done to reduce the cost Of
food IS there any convincing evidence.
however, that wheat would sell under
$2.26 bushel if free market were
established? Wheat growers Of late
have shown some desire for free
market in the hope that the price
would rise instead of fall
"lnstead of free markets, controlled
markets and rationing systems may
again be government policy, abroad and
at home, as in war time. before the
end of the present year Europe needs
help and we cannot isolate ourselves
and our crops from Europe. The food
problem the coming winter viii be IN
tcrnational"
A few papers attack the retailer
and place reliance on the efforts of
mayors to retail food. Says The
Washington Post"
ut is apparent from cursory study
of the food situation that the greatest
hope for relief lies in lowering the
cost of distribution. There must be
a reduction of the margin between the
wholesale prices and the prices paid
by the consumer. If the retailer is
unable 20 rurvey food to the public on
a margin Of profit less than 100 to 300
per cont. thcn some other means Of
distribution must be found"
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
Funk .4bouf the Retailer

This theory is derided by The
Philadelphia Record declaring that
such hopes of reducing the cost Of
retailing are "bunk':
"The distressing part Of tins silly
thing is that SO many unthinkins people
are led to believe it. and. believing il,
are placing the blame for the high
prices on the small shopkeeper. WHO.
unlike mayors and other olceholders
who lend themselves to sucn efor1s
to deceive, is forced TO do buSne -
upon a basis that requires him -
charge the consumer enough to cover
the labor of the grocer and his clerAs
the cost of rent, or the interest and
taxes cu the value Of his store. # he
owns IT,"
The comment is unusually free
from partisanship. The Phiiadel-
phia Inquirer" (Rep.) blames war
waste for portion of the high cost
of living; THE Baltimore sun
(Dem.) and The New York World
(Dem.) blame Congress. Only two
papers, THE New York World
and "The St, Louis Post-Dispatch'
(Dem.), use the crisis to urge the
prompt ratification Of the league OF
nations:
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
Diminishing Initiation

Machinery of the Federal Reserve
Bank, which began operations toward
the close of 1914, made it easy for the
circulation to be increased, and by
June l, of this year, the amount of
Federal Reserve notes and Federal
Reserve banknotes in circulation
amounted to $2,662, ,144,421, of which
S311, ,144,482 represented substitution Of
the new form of currency for like
amount Of silver certificates which
were retired.
$50 far s imitation may be due to
the increase Of money in circulation
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
The Bootstrop Method

.,, mere Is a typical comment from
Inc Philadelphia Ledger" upon this
new attitude of labor, expressed in
'"e nrst utterances of Messrs. Stone
and Lee:
we nave had strikes and labor VIC
.'es and wage increases to an un-
.Seoehted extent; but the butchers
.n0 sroeers' bills still beat the pay
e'ope. Wise labor leaders have
.. .e 70 see that this is a race in
A'sn they always lose. The working
s@munity cannot lift itself by its own
sps. When they win an ap-
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
ailments and Cures

The retailer is to blame.
Whoeuer is to blame, it is not the
retailer.
The combinations ore guitty.
Initiation IS the cause.
Whoever is responsible, 1t is not
the farmer.
The administration did and is
doing it.
Congress did it.
WoU Street did it,
Ration the people and control the
markets.
Stop controlling the price Of
trheot.
Place on embargo on whent.
Investigate.
Stop the 7oaste.
Ja't the profteers
CdU IN Hoouer.
RntVy the league of nations.
About the only subjects on which
al are agreed are the gravity of the
situation and the good sense shown
W lhe railway mems first demands in
insisting that prices be lowered
iaSner than that wages be raised.
'As will be seen on the page fol-
owing, the country has reacted very
inherently to the later demands Of
'"e railroad men for the national
Aa'ion Of railways and basic indus
tries.)
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
Cost No Higher?

Meanwhile the one basic question is
so much taken for granted that nobody
stops to ask whether, in fact, the cost
of living actually is higher now than it
was Prices do not tell. Prices may be
very much higher and yet the cost of
living may be no higher. If. for in
stance, wages in the average rise as
fast as prices, nobody is worse off ex-
cept those forgotten ones who live by
investments.
"The suggestion that the cost of liv-
ing actually may not be higher will le
received with utter incredulity. Yet it
would be difficult to prove that people
arc consuming less They are certain
ly not working more The hours of
labor have been tending to fall.
"1f, with the same amount of labor,
people have as much to eat and wear
and waste as they had before, and of
ing has not risen.
1--WE do not say such is the case We
say only that it is as arguable, that
proof to the contrary is wanting, an1
that there is much nonsense current"
In recounting the operations by
which imitation has come about
"The Philadelphia Press" says
There are two methods of creating
imitation. One is by enlarging the
amount of money in circulation and
the other by adding to the funded pub
lie debts, and the United States has
been indulging in both of these meth
DDS to wonderful degree In July,
1914, just prior to the beginning of the
great war, the per capita circulation
was $34.53, representing q gradual in
crease during period of years and
probably corresponding with a growth
Of business needs. as in January, 1879,
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
iir. = IL ms Political Sense

And yet, ~ IN all these fAc,s. known
20 every ;1an who IA even the rail-
road question even rudimcntary study,
pointed out repeatedly by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. the Prca-
ident's only suggestion for meeting
tho just demands Of the workers for
larger salaries Is an increase IN rates,
And tnis. knowing the increasing anger
Of the public ~ pronteerlng. and know
ing also that increased rates wall lead
inevitably % SUN further proftecring,
"Did Paris destroy all Woodrow VII
sons political sense.'
The radical distrust Of the Presi-
dent is also expressed in this para
graph in The Cali.
The nations peril row IS tina.
the President may blossom out with
some lovely language favorins the
Plumb plan for nationaliz,ng the raj.
roads And, in this connection na..
was the name OF the gentleman Who
took an inside apartment in whale
some years ago. jeremiah, No |,
began with ]. What was HI. name >
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
The Scoffing Radicals
Extremists See Little Hope y Hithou Revolution

r.,::": ::"':',: ..: Of ":'. ::: '''''s: :' 's:
railroad brothcrhoods and
approve their utterances,
especially their predictions that the
nation is in danger of a revolution
The plan for dealing with the rail
roads is discussed as sort of semi
syndicaiism. step in the right di-
recton. SO far as actual remedies
for the high cost of living go, the
radical press sees no real relief
short Of Socialism or Bolshevism. as
their particular faith runs, that IS,
either state owned and operated IN
dustry or soviet operated industry.
A typical comment upon the stu
alton is the following from The
New York Call":
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

S5,841 100000 in five years, deflation,
as Senator Myers says, may be the first
necessity in the readjustment of wages
to prices.
"It is easy to charge this revolution
to the profiteers, and doubtless they
have had hand in it, but movement
which affects the whole world must
have more fundamental causes"
"The Tribune" goes on to sug-
gest that an attempt be made to
forecast probable price movements
for the next few days, SO that bust
ness men and laboring men might
know upon what basis they could
contract. This view that imitation
is the basic cause of high prices is
also expressed in "The Philadelphia
Press" The New York Tribune,
''The Topeka Capital" and "The
Kansas City Star" The New York
Tribune argues that conceivably
the cost of living may not have in
creased at all. 1t says:
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

hai lin o 9l4tot
ph the hotof in
nd tn
prices s ams-heuas
n enable he preach the etbaske
line based nDuns index
o bd dir
metals nd mis- products ssuhas sunI.r
aamnb Each
in pop h per- ph of
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

the per capita circulation was only
1852. BY January, 1917, before this
country entered the war. the per cap
ita circulation had climbed to S43, and
on June I, of this year. it stood at
$54.29. This increase Of Sl129 per
capita in two and one-half years rep
resents in dollars the sum OF ST 1894 =
335,57S, the total circulation now being
5,834 ,268,212
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

it probably is within the power of Con-
gress or the Federal Reserve Board to
curb and to diminish the evil, if it may
be termed an evil"
The question of wheat brings out
another sharp conflict Of opinion
The Minneapolis Journal" would
Lave the government continue is
guarantee of $c26 a bushel 20 the
farmers; but it would also have the
government spend billion if neces-
cary to turn over wheat to the peo-
pie at a cheaper price. Let the
government absorb this loss as part
of the war bill.
WOrld Wheot
To this view "The Springfield Re
publican" replies as follows:
"Congrcssman Fitzgerald, of Boston,
again urges the government to sell
wheat at the prevailing prices in the
worlds market, his assumption being
that the world markets price is lower
than the governments guaranteed
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
Dcpose the Capitalist kines

The long protests of the Working
class are being heard. but the prohteer-
ing that gives rise to it viii never
cease until the great plants Of Industry
are owned and controlled by the labor
ms masses and a Socialist democracy
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
Counsel OF DESPAIR

President Wilson doesn't know what
10 do Therefore, he leaves it to Con
gress TO suggest way out Of the I'M
passe IN which he finds himself H..
one suggestion is that commission
shoUld be created to study the demand
Of the railroad workefe for higher
wages. and, if ii is found correc: to
raise rates sufficiently 20 cover the
wage increase.
This is counsel of despair AM
.sro N economies knows It. The rail-
road men themselves have told tn.
President SO. They have pointed out
that what they want Is not an in
crease in wages but a decrease IN
ne cost Of living They have en-
deavored 20 SHOW I'm what should
be apna1e4t even To schooibJ, of
reasonable Intelligence that an IN
crease m wage. that comes FROM in
creased - os Will only make th~ cost
Of living stll higher and csll Tor
& stil further Increase IN wages and
50 on. ad inhnitum
And there is no reason IN the world
why rates should be further increased
The United States government IS pay
lng the roads dividends on millions
Of stocks which represent nothing
more tangible than blue sky. IT. has
permitted the roads 20 capitalize. and
charge dlflaends. on the increase in
property value which ma come not
from the railroads, out from the public
1t is buying steel from the steel trust
at exorbltant profits, ana coal from the
coal trust at eNorbitant profits /, has
done next 10 nothing to co away with
the vast wastes resulting from the com
pettive uan4 cement OF the roads
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

deposes the can.talist kings Of modern
society"
The radical opinion is all severely
critical of President Wilson. The
discussion of the problem in The
Fargo Courier-News" the North
Dakota organ of the Nonpartisan
League) IS headed Wilson Passes
the Buck:
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10

proach to general increase in wages
they increase the cost of production all
around; and then they mmediately pay
that increased cost themselves, plus in
terest on the increase, plus added mid
clemens profits on the increase, plus
whatever profiteering this new disturb
ance in prices may permit. The work
ing consumer remains the goat"
One Of the few papers with I. def
mite programme to offer is 1.-The
Cleveland Plain Dealer" which pre-
sents the following discussion:
at is not impossible to solve the
food question. Statesmen, to be worthy
of the name, can work out the details,
but the principles to be aimed at may
be very simply summarized as fol-
lows
~. Make the food industry justify
itself socially.
"2. Break up combinations.
''3. Limit profits all along the line
a. Study the process of distribu-
ton and eliminate unnecessary middle
men.
"5. If necessary as a last resort, re-
organize wartime control of food ard
extend it to fixing retail prices. This is
being done in England.
"6. Strip away from the food busi-
ness the veil of secrecy surrounding
it and restore public confidence.
81. Encourage production by pro-
viding credit for young men who want
to take up farming, and by establish
ing a more direct connection between
the farm and the city market
off all or any large part of this pro-
rramme can be worked out the nigh
price agitation of 1919 will go down
as one of the most important events
in American history"
Cure by Statute
At the other extreme are "The
Chicago Tribune" and "Thc Detroit
Free Press" both arguing at length
that no legislative remedy is pos
sible. Says "The Tribune" of the
American faith in "cure by statute:
Con this point The Tribune is dubi-
Gus. Our own City Council thinks it
can do something with the high cost
of foods and other products. The state
governments probably think they car
do something. Congress evidently
thinks it can do something. Possibly
they can, but we remain dubious, al
though willing to be shown
This, for the world, is the morning
after. The consequences continue te
be felt after everybody is willing tt
go home to bed. The world is not
normal now, because it has not been
normal for nearly five years People
are reaching for patent medicines. W.
doubt their efficacy. Experience sug
gests that Congressional acts may b.
utilities if plastercd on economic laws
There may be exceptions, such as tn.
proposal of Senator Myers to reduce
gradually the amount Of money in cir
culation. If the money in circulation
has increased from $3,367 ,oo0, 900 t,
New-York tribune., 1919-08-10
DO Something Is Answer of
Country to II. r. Mems De-
1nands----But What?

llTo SOMETHING" is the
h almost universal cry in
the American news
papers in discussing the
high cost Of living. Every one is
agreed that a desperate situation
exists calling for prompt action.
But what to do is quite another
matter A very few papers. notably
The Chicago Tribune and The
Detroit Free Press fear that moth
ing can be done. The great majority
all have their pet solutions. The
impartial searcher after light will
come forth from reading of "The
Natlon's' editorials with this list
OF explanations, declarations and
remedies, each guaranteed to cure
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-12

OF 1858 that relation Of yours OF
factories closed. Of workmcn out OF
employ. Of homes afrishtcd and busi-
ness and commerce hamstrung at tho
command OF Junta OF labor leaders
In defiance OF tho federal courts and
the dicta of tho president Of the
United States.
We have been making history fast
in these later years. SO fast that we
do not realize how fast or how far we
have gone. What our grandchildren
shall be when they are grandparents.
how they shall live and what they
shall enjoy and endure are hidden
from us as the marvels Of this first
quarter Of tho twentieth century were
were hidden from the eyes Of 1859.
Then. as now we were at tl.e close of
a great war which had brought sreat
changes and written them on the
palimpsest of the generations. We are
now ready to write again tho story of
new epoch. And we may safely
trust that the new story shall not DO
written with the stulus Of anarchy
and bolshevism but shall relate the
triumph Of law and order and democ-
racy.
1t will be great to be an Old Inhabi-
tant in 1863.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-12
SALTS If KIDNEYS
OR BLADDER BOTHER
HARMLESSi TO FLUSH KIDNEYS
AND NEUTRALlZE iRRiTAT.
ING ACiD0.

Kidney and Bladder weakness result
from uric acid, says noted authority.
The kidneys filter this acid from the
blood and pass it on to the bladder,
where it often remains to irritate and
inflame. causing q burning. scalding
sensation. or setting up an Irritation
at the neck OF the bladder. obliging
you to seek relief two or three times
during the night The sufferer is In
constant dread. the water passes
sometimes with a scaldlng sensation
and is very profuse; again. there is
difficulty in avoiding It.
Bladder weakness. most folks call It
because they can't control urination
While It is extremely annoying and
sometimes very painful, this Is really
one of the most simple ailments to
overcome. Get about four ounces OF
Jad Salts. from your pharmacist and
take tablespoonful In glass Of wat
err before breakfast, continue this foI
two or three days. This will neutrahze
the acids in the urine 30 1t no longer
is source of irritation to the bladder
and urinary organs which then &C,
normally again.
Jad Salts il inexpensive. harmless
and IL made from the acid Of grapes
and lemon juice, combined with lithia
and is used by thousands of folks who
are subject TO urinary disorders caused
by uric acid irritation. lad Salts IL
splendid for kidneys and causes no bad
effects whatever.
Here you have q pleasant, efferves-
cent lithia-w water drink. which quickly
relieves bladder trouble.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-12
Go lNgAelrkHT IN 1869,

Year 1869, season, winter, month De-
cenber. place, Iowa Dramatis
personae. old inhab!tant and grand
children.
Grandchildren arriving home from
school with tingling ears and numb
fingers aver that ats awful cold out
sidA." Their mother remarks that she
never knew q worse winter. That Viii
DO the cure Of Old Inhabitant in De-
csnber 1853. You'll say You ought to
have seen the winter OF 1919, the year
Of the big coal strike The kids will
beg tell US about It grandpa, tell US
what a strike was like. Why don't
, folks strike now?"
Then, like Old Casper with Peterkin.
you viii relate IN the garrulity Of age
the story almost unbelievable to the
children Of 50 years hence how 100000
miners brought the terror of family.
business and Industrial calamity to
1l0, 900. 900 people. It will be as strange
/ to them. let US hope as the tales OF
men imprisoned for debt. OF hanging
for forgery and curative hogsing Of
the insane were to Us when the then
Old Inhabitant told tradition to our
| wondering boyhood 50 years ago. The
children OF 1869 will be as unable to
| understand the tale Of q strike by
those engaged in public utilities as the
children Of today are unable to under
stand Uncle Toms Cabin and the in
justice. waste and wlckedness Of
! human slavery. For unless We have
progressed beyond strike government
| within a national government there
will be no American nation by that
| time.
! It will be a strange story to the ears
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-12
u u what the common American colo
0uialism calls funny

n n chat tha eovnru0n Anerican Oolo.
.,,.,,... ..n. .s.crvs u.
VA. .,,r.r.s ,n,.h A.rs~~ ~. -,
urdar the a.sum,t,on that ths Arncri-
on, n.on,a hsva ns,thsr po,,s nor
cor,mon ..r.. .po,,0h n understand
ana mat emsrxens,.. ana that the
Amar,can ,nb,,e must be kindergnr-
tened. Wa had our Croe,s. who pre-.
sumed 10 send out canards of deeper
ate but victorious sea fshting that
never took place. explaining II would
please people on n patriotic holiday.
censors who suppressed facts and
garbled truth to brave people who
only needed the truth TO stir them to
greater effort. II Aeems they are not
ali dead vet.
Marx this: The average American
In ready To submit IN nm equality Of
restriction. however great. when the
greatness Of the emergency demands
ana iu.tifle. IL The average American
has brains and patriotism. usually
more than those who ynobbishly as
sun,e To trent him On m,sse as grown
mon treat children. He IA prone 70
seek amusement. to entertain and be
entertained. brt he knows the differ.
enee betveen amusement and duty and
ia rsaav IN do his mart and endure his
annoysnce. and HE sacr.soes All ho
Asks 4. TIM, n, favor. .nou hs show,
oth.rs TIN, ha doos M, .n.r.,n