The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-14
BACKWARD IN
FURNISHING CASH
Congress Shows Signs Of Being
Reluctant to Appropriate
Three Millions
Asked.
ALL KINDS OF SCHEME
Chairman of Special Committee Sug.
gests Buying Food instead of
Making lnvestisa-
tions.
ALL KINDS OF SCHEME
[By Raymond Clapper, United Press
Staff Correspondent

| [By Raymond Clapper, United Press
| Staff Correspondent
! WASHINGTON, Aug. 14.-Congress
showed signs today Of being reluct
ant to appropriate quickly the $1,000.
900 asked by executive departments
to reduce the cost Of living. But il
was believed the money bills would
go through, because Of public demand
| for lower prices.
1.-THE money might better be spent
in buying food than in further inves
/ legations" Senator Townsend. Michi
gan, said today. He is chairman OF
/ the special senate subcommittee
named to recommend measures to re
duce prices.
/ Cali kinds of schemes are being
I ...ought up in the various departments
each ow which is trying to make a
showing and consequently demand ap.
preparations" he said. In the last
two days congress has been asked to
make these appropriations:
Department Of labor, $475,OO0; de-
rartment of commerce, $4,000; fed
e1al trade commission, $5OO,00o;
/ treasury department for secret serv'
ice agents, $175,00O. !.
l., The. department of justice. Is all
ITeduy 10 dbE SlycuVsVVo, fAtOoAAtoS fu0AA
ieral Palmer has announced.
Townsend said he believed most OF
{Shese requests were made without
knowledge of what other departments
wanted. Certain additional funds
will have to be granted in some cases,
but congress will investigate before
acting, he said.
/ 1--WE have got to get at the facts
first" Townsend explained. "We will
have to eliminate duplication and find
whether the additional taxes these
appropriations would require would
offset the gain from reduced prices"
Townsend said that his committee
would recommend complete program
for congress.
Attorney General Palmer's request
for extension of the food control act
to cover clothing and addition OF
heavy penalties for violations was
taken up by the senate agriculture
committee today Farmers demands
for changes in grain standards also
will be heard by the committee.
Congress was to be urged to fix rea-
sonable profits and determine what Is
unreasonable restraint of trade" by
Senator Owen today. Owen approved
the federal reserve boards advice
that waste and extravaganza be
avoided and that every effort be made
to increase production as a remedy
for present high prices.
81 emphatically agree with Governor
Harding that the high cost Of living
needs to be abated by diligent and ef.
ficient labor, by thrift, avoidance OF
waste and extravaganza" he said.
private monopolies should be con-
trolled and profits restricted to rate
that shall be fair to the consumers.
iIf restraint of trade be unlawful when
unreasonable, congress should pro
vide a means Of determining when the
restraint Is unreasonable and hx
rates of profit at reasonable figures.
EI should favor generous rules along
this line"
Preparations are going ahead for
hearings on the Kenyon and Kendrick
bills to regulate the packers to begin
Monday before the senate agriculture
committee.
Senator Townsend's committee will