Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-09-23
Tuesday, September a. 1919.
Public Not Interested in High Cost Of
livino?

Public Not Interested in High Cost Of
Living?
Uncle Dudley Of the Boston Globe
wants to know what has become Of
the recent fury against the profiteers.
He says:
We were going to eat the prohteers
alive The cost Of living was going to
know the reason why. And now a
plaintive note from the Treasury De-
partment laments that the public has 81
lost interest in the movement against
high prices that unless some national
body can keep the issue hot. YER; little
will come Of all the excitement
We refuse to believe the public has
lost interest. Nobody who has to buy
things enjoys the present prices he
has to pay We have the promises
made by the President and the attor-
ney general that they would immedi-
ately start to reduce prices and We
expect them TO do il We are still
looking for results. Having assur-
ances from these authorities that
they would attend to the matter. why
should we keep stirred up to a fine
frenxy about II and wear ourselves
and them out with our constant COM.
planning about their progress We
were specifically asked to be patient
and we supposed that meant to keep
still
Twelve states have reported price
decreases of 10 TO IS per cent. which
is evidence that prices have begun to
drop. and is all right as far as it goes.
But viewing our -ifty-cent dollar"
which means that the general in
crease in living cost is around 100 per
cent and knowing that increases in
certain lines Of goods have been 300
per cent. we can see more still to be
done to ease the burden Of the ulti-
mate consumer.
Attorney General Palmer Is on the
job. and at Albany denounced the
packers. asserting that they control
IS per cent Of the meat industry and
worse than that. BY controlling eggs,
cheese. butter. meat substitutes and
canned vegetables they have a deadly
hold on the American table. He stat
ed that the evidence collected by the
Department Of Justice against them
is such that when laid before the
American people it will arouse their
wrath to the point where they will
compel conviction.
The grand jury investigation Of the
packers was begun Wednesday and
government attorneys who have IN
their possession three trunks con.
tanning the Documentary evidence to
which Attorney General Palmer re.
ferrec, say that II conviction IL OBJ.
tanned. they will ask jail sentences
for the big packers.
While the public expects the De-
rartment OF Justice to conduct the
prosecutions against profiteering
there Is much that individuals can dc
to knock the bottom out Of the prof.
iteer's dish and bring prices down
Attorney General Palmer believes the
attitude Of mind Of the public has q
great effect on the price manipula.
tions Of traders and says that people
who are buying out Of fear that
prices will 60 higher are themselves
helping to keep them up. He sug-
sests legislation requiring stamping
Of the date on every article that goes
into storage and the cost Of produc.
ton on manufactured articles. On
what is often termed the psychology
Of buying he says:
II our people the country over
would set their faces like flint
against this buy now campaign
which the merchants are putting on
the boards. they would beat this high
cost OF living by that single effort.
And I think. by the way. that there is
Q despicable kind Of thing in the
present emergency, the urging by
dealers upon the people to buy now.
implying higher prices, which thew
know are not coming, in order To
save themselves the profits which
they ought not to make and will NOT
make II natdeal conditions ensue.
II think that every necessity Of life
which Is In . form which will permit
It to be dome should have plainly
marked upon It the selling price
when 1t left the manufacturer or the
producer. I tell you. my friends. II
you walk into q shoe store to buy q
pair Of shoes and pick mp . shoe and
dnd upon its sole plainly stamped
this shoe cost when 1t left the pro-
Queer $3.75.' I win be damned II you
yin pay SIS.
You gtve % the pubic 4 measure
Of self-proteetion which they are en-
titled to - . eoanAerweapon against
the gougee IA wholesale and retail
tines. You mako It possible for him
10 stand Mp and ~ I WON'T when
the dealer says 'Xou must and you
know that u . me answer"
We do not belisvs that Uncle Dud-
iey and the Treasury Department
need to worry about ths public grow
hs apathetic on the high esst Of liv-
inG. and Nc predict that unless the