The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1919-03-10
TO REDUCE COST OF LIVING
First Attempt Will Be to Fix
Mark for Basic Commodi-
ties in Country.
TO CONSIDER WAGES LAST
Food Must First Be Cut Is
Opinion Before Labor Can
Be Dealt With.

WASHlNGTON. March Com
plcton OF the personnel of the in
dustrial board of the department OF
commerce, together with the plans
Of the board for Fastening the prices
OF food and wages to normal was an
nounccd today through the council
OF national defense
Associated with George n. Peek OF
MoAhc. H., n former member OF the
war industries board as chairman OF
the new organization. are Samuel +.
Bush OF Columbus, Ohio. Anthony
Camlnetti, commissioner OF imml-
grafton; Thomas X Glenn OF At
lanta, Ga, George II. James OF Mem
phis, Tenn: T. G. Powell OF Clncin-
natl, and wllliam ". Ritter OF West
Virginia.
To Increase Industry.
The purpose OF the new board. It
was announced. In to bring about the
operation of tho laws OF supply and
demand interfered with by the pro-
cess OF war, TO this end conferences
Will be held with representatives OF
the chief industries ito decide on
prices to be offered TO the nation as
the governmentally approved iuds
ment on a price scale low enough to
encourage buying and the resump-
uon OF normal activities"
AS soon as a stable and whole
some scale OF prices In achieyed."
said the announcement the cost Of
living will hayc 40 far been reduced
as TO create automatically rsductions
IN the price OF labor Without inter
fering with American standards and
Ideals for the treatment and living
conditions OF labor and thus the last
Initiating element will have been
Withdrawn from prices. II is be-
lieved that industry will agree that
The cost OF living must he substan-
TALLY reduced before labor should be
asked To accept lower wages and
mus Industry should stand the frat
shock OF readjustment.
Hakic Commodities First
'l'asic-eommodities, such az steel,
building materials, textiles and food,
will be considered first and brought
To a stable basis. The governmc entail
policy, ns expressed by the bin 10
authorize purchase Ly tho govern
mem OF wheat at tho kiaranteed
price and resale OF IL at the world
price, In to assist In bringing prices
OF h,Eic commodities to normality
by bringing down the cost OF llv-
Ing. IL is hoped that these steps
alone will automatically operate TO
reduce the price OF fabricated arti-
Giles. lf they do not do So In any
particular case, the industry affected
will he invited into conference.
The assurance 70 the country OF
a market stabilized al the lowest
reasonably expected level will loosen
such flood OF buying for the re
action OF stocks. the making up OF
arrears In the building program, tho
feeding OF needs long starved by
economy and the invasion OF world
as may stand unprecedented
In this country From the vita BILE
level thus reached by cooperation
"" may expect "A healthy and nor
mai condition created by the com
plcte and unhanpered operation OF
tho law OF supply and demand"
IL Quickest Way.
In reply TO the objection shat n
general selling reduction in selling
prices will force industry and com
mcrce to take a loss on products pur-
chased at war prices, the boards an
npuncement said the Losses under the
proposed plan would be less than II |
Industry were required 90 await a
natural rcndjustmentment. with lts
consequent long period OF stagnation |
The normal operation OF the law
~ supply and demand said the |
statement, cannot cure what IL did |
l., L. 80
operate until buying begins. and. sec
md. because buying cannot begin IN
no we have more normal, stable ,
md hDmpRCnOug market"