The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-08-09
PUNISH PR0FITEERS, SAYS WILSON
Text of Presidents Food Message to Congress Follows


WASHINGTON. Aug. g.
United Press. h-rresident WI
ION proposed 20 congress ycx
icrday the following definite
program ~ legislation 10 cope
with the high cost OF living.
!. Extension Of the Lever
food control act TO peaeetime
aud broadening It's antihoard-
Ing provisions 10 cover food
stuffs, fuel. clothing aud other
indisputsblc necessaries Of life.
.. Enactment Of y law rec.
ulating cold storage.
8. Federal licensing Of all
'unconscionahle profits"
4. Passage Of the bill now
pending for control Of security
issues.
d Provision of adequate
funds for government agencies
20 enable them 90 give full pub
licity 10 retailers costs and
selling profits.
9. Definite provision for
penalty for profifcering.
I. Provision for marking ON
the package the price paid 20 tho
producer Of all goods 20 be
shipped In Interstate commerce.
Denounclng some OF the methods
BY which present high prices are
produced as illegal" and criminal"
the president assured congress and
the country that swift prosecution
and punishment will fall upon the
guilty.
He Indirectly appealed for early
ratification OF the peace treaty. by
rolnting out that economic disturb
ances growing out OF the war cannot
be Gained until there Is peace. But
whatever can be done 10 meet the
Immediate situation. should be done.
and done quickly. the president said.
The president issued also a warn
ing and appeal to the country's
workers not TO strike or resort TO
violent contest to settle the situa.
ticn.
WASHINGTON. Aug. s.-Presi.
dent Wilson introduced bis speech 10
congress on the high costs OF living
~ follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress; l
have sought this opportunity to ad.
dress you because It is clearly my
DUTY 10 call your attention 10 the
present cost Of living aud 20 urge
upon you with all the persuasive
force OF which I am capable the
legislative measure which would be
most effective In controlling II aud
bringing II down.
The prices the psnpIe Of this
country are paying for eytry,
thing that u Is necessary for
them TO use in order TO live are
not Justified by . shortage In
supply. either present or pros
peetive. and In many cases
ARTIfIClAILY AND DELHI
ERATELY CREATED By VI
: cisus practices.
They constitute q burden upon us
which Is the more unhearabie be
cause we know that Il Is wilfuiiy
Imposed by those who have the
powsr and that It can. BY vigorous
public action. be greatly llghtencd
and made to square with the act
~ conditions OF supply and de-
IND
some Already Criminal
oome OF the methods BY which
81
Snady Illegal. some OF them crimi-
nal. and those who employ them
win be encrgeticaliy proceeded
against. but others have not yet
been brought under the law
ond should be dealt with at
ence by legislation.
! need not recite the particulars
q this critical matter: the prices
demanded and paid at the resources
u supply. at the factory. in the food
markets, at the shor~. In the restau.
rants and hotels. alike. In the city
and In the village They are familiar
10 you.
In . Vicious Cycle
They are the talk OF every home
circle. and Of every group OF casual
acquaintances even. IL Is matter
% familiar knowledge. also. that n
process has set in which Is likely,
unless something In done. to push
prices and rents and the whole cost
Of living higher and yet higher. In
: vicious cycle to which there In no
logical or natural end.
with the increase In the prices
Of the necessaries OF life come de-
mands for increases In wages---te.
mands which are justified. II there
be no other means Of enabling men
to i've Upon the increase OF wages
there follows closely an increase in
the price Of the products which those
producers have been accorded the In
crease-not a proportionate increase.
for the manufacturer does not con.
tent himself with that. but an In
crease considerably greater than the
added wage cost. and for which the
added cost Is often times hardly more
lhan an excuse.
Strikes Make II Worse
The laborers who do not get an
Increase In pay when they demand 1t
are likely to strike and the strike
only makes matters worse. II
checks production; IL II affects the
railways. 1t prevents distribution and
strips the markets. so that there is
presently nothing TO buy, and there
Is another excessive addition in
prices resulting from the scarcity.
These are facts and forces with
which we have become only too
familiar: but we are not justified be.
cause OF our familiarity with them
n because OF any hasty and shallow
conclusion that they are natural
ard Inevitable, In sitting inactiyely
by. and letting them work their
fatal results. II there Is anything we
can do IN check CORRECT or reverae