The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-08-09

II In impossible yet 10 predict no"
far or how long foreign purchasers viii
be able 10 ind the money or the crco't
to pay for or sustain such purchases
on such scale: how soon ar TO ~ha'
extent foreign manufacturers can re-
sumo their former production. foreign
farmers get their accustomed crops
from their own fields, foreign mines
resume their former output. foreign
merchants set up again their old ma
chinery Of trade with the ends OF the
earth All these things must remain
uncertain until peace is established ana
the nations Of the world have concerted
the methods by which normal lie ana
industry are TO be restored. All that
We shall do in the meantime. TO re-
strain profiteerlrg and put the life OF
our people upon toleraole footing Will
be makeshift and provisional. There
can be no settled conditions here or
elsewhere until the treaty Of peace Is
out Of the way and the work Of hTui-
dating the war has bccom" tn" chiHt
concern cf our government and Of the
other governments Of IN" world. Until
then business will Inevitably remain
speculative and sway now this way and
again that, with heavy losses or heaTy
gains as II may chance. and the con-
sumner must take care Of both the gains
and the losses. There can BE- no peace
prices so long as our whole financial
and economic system IS on war basis.
Must Have Peace.
Europe will not, cannot rcCoup nor
capital or put her restless. distracted
peoples TO work until she knows exact
~ where she stands in respect OF peace
and what we will do is for h"r the chief
question upon which her Guictud" OF
mind and confidence Of purpose pend.
While there is any possibility N.U III"
peace terms may be changed or may be
held long N allegiance. or may not DC
enforced because Of divisions Of opin-
ION among the powers associated
against Germany. II is idle TO look FOR
permanent relief.
But what We can do We should do.
and should do az once. and there is
great deal that We can do. provisional
though Il be. Wheat shipments and
credits TO facilitate the purchase Of our
wheat can and will be limited and con-
trollcd in such a way as not to raise
but rather TO lower the price OF -four
here. The government has the power.
within certain limits. to regulate that.
We cannot deny wheat TO foreign pco-
pies who are IN dire need OF II. and we
do not wish 70 do SO; but fortunately.
though the wheat crop is not what we
hoped il would BE-. il is abundant II
handled with providcat care. The price
OF wheat is lower in the United States
than In EUROPE. and can with proper
management b" kept so.
Plans For Relief.
BY way OF immediate relief surplus
stocks Of both food and clothing in tho
hands OF the government will he gold.
and Of course sold at prices at which
there is no proti'. And by way OF
moro permanent correction Of prices
surplus stocks in private hands will be
drawn out Of storage and put upon the
market. Fortunately. under tie terms
Of the food control act n" boarding or
foodstuffs can be checked and prevent
ed; and they will b.. with the greatest
energy FoodsrufS can DO drawn out
Of storage and sold by legal acAon
which the department OF justice within
stitutes wherey necessary: hur 80 soon
as the situation is Systematically dealt
with II Is not likely that the courts VIII
often have TO Dc r"sortrd 10. Much or
the accommodating OF stocks has no doubt
been due to the sort OF speculation
which always results from uncertainty.
Great SURPRISES were accumulated be-
cause il was impossible 70 foresee what
be- TIC make. would disclos" en@ a"nic-s
were determined to be ready for what
ever might happen. as well as eager 10
reap thS full advantage Of rising prices.
They will now sec the disadvantage. as
we'll as the danger. OF holding Off from
the new process Of distribution.
Exposes Pronteertng.
Some very interesting and significant
facts with regard TO stocks on hand and
the rise of prices in the fact OF aound-
ance have been disclosed by the inquir-
les OF tho depart rncnt OF agriculture. IN"
department Of labor and the fcderHl
trade commission. They seem 10 $Gsti-
f. the statement that in the case OF
many necessary commodities effective
means have been found to prevent the
normal operation OF the law on supply
and demand. Disrngardng the surplus
stocks in the hands OF the government.
there was greater supply OF foodStutts
in this country on June first Of this
year than AT the Same date last year.
In the combined total Of NUMBER OF
the most important foods in dry and
cold storage the excess Is quite nineteen
percent. And yet prices have risen.
The supply OF fresh eggs on hand in
June Of this year. for example. was
greater by nearly ten percent than the
supply on hand at the same time last
year and Yet tho wholesale price was
forty cents dozen IS against thirty
cents q year ago. fhe stock OF frozen
fowls had increased more than two
hundred and nlnety-eight percent and
vet the price had risen also. from thir-
ty-four and a half crrts per pound 10
thirty-srvcn ana Il Ealf cents. The
supply Cf creamery butter had increased
a hundred and twrnty-nIpe percent and
the price from frTty-one 10 hfty-three
cents per pound. The supply OF salt
beef had been augmented three percent
and the price had gone UP from thirty
-FOUR dollars n barrel to thirty-s:H dol
lars a blrrol. Canned corn nar in
creased in stock nearly nsnery-rw" per-
cent and had nr'I'ubstantially the
same in price In a few foodstufrs tn"
prices had declined. but in nothing liz"
3he proportion in which the supply had
Increased For example. tho stock Of
canned tomatoes had increased one
hundred and two percent and yet the
price had declined only twenty-five
cents per dozen cans. In Some cases
there had been the usual result or an
increase OF price following decrease
Of supply but in almost every instance
the increase Of price had been dispro-
norttonate 10 the decrease in stock.
VIII Be prosecuted.
The attorney general has been max
ing a careful study OF the situation as
whole and OF tho lIws that can be
applied TO better il ard L. convinced that
under the stimulation and temptation OF
exceptional circumstances. comoina-
tions OF producers and combinations OF
traders have been formed for the con-
troll Of supplies and Of prices which are
clearly in restraint OF trade and against
these prosecutions will be promptly in
stituted and actively pushed which ~
haN