The Semi-weekly leader., 1919-08-02
AMERICA FIRST" PLEAD THE
PEOPLE IN THE MATTER OF
LOWER COST OF LIVING.

The high cost of living as 1t af-
fects the average citizen is receiving
attention at last at Washington. The
continued protests of the public and
on1inous demands. of organized rail
road workers that the American gov
ernment do something to relieve the
situation resulting from inflated food
prices has halted the discussion in
Congress over the peace treaty, and
President Wilson too is said to be
giving the subject deep and very
thoughtful consideration.
Production cost of food stuffs, it is
said can be shown readily enough
by the Federal Trade Commission
which obtained the figures when
it was advising the government what
prices to pay in purchasing for the
army and navy.
The commissions investigations
during the war, all of which dealt
only with the most authoritative in
formation derived from the books of
companies involved, are said to have
shown that proflteering was at
minimum in the retail trades, most
of the exorbitant pronts which are
being made going to the manufac-
tairers and whalesal lers.a ~. -s.ss :
In the Senate, Senator Myers,
Democrat, of Montana. said that high
living costs were productive of
Bolshevism and anarchism."
Senator Poindexter, Republican of
Washington said the president had
given 500, 900, 900 to feed distressed
European peoples, and added:
But it would be impossible to get
an appropriation of $1,000, 900 for
food for Americans"
One of the reasons urged for the
appropriation to supply food for Eu-
rope. Senator Poindexter said, was
maintenance Of meat and food prices.
William G. Lee, president of the
Brotherhood of Railway Trainmen
said, Every day we must realize
that the prof1teers are taking double
from the working men what is CIV
en- them. and the trouble with the
people on the hill (the capitoD, with
us, with every corporation, and with
everybody, is that we are exerting
ourselves to get the dollar, while the
working man is merely existing and
while the pronteer is piling UP mill
lions.
Il will admit to you gentlemen,
that we are going the wrong way. ]
admit too that IL is time to call
halt; and admit to you that until
we get together, until we commence
together to stop this, there will be
hell in this country and it is nearer
today than ] ever knew 1t in my
years of experience. Just let some
body drop match in this country
of ours and it will be a sorry day
for all of us.
Unless my vision is most terribly
obscured then there is something
coming to US pretty soon in this
country that we had better take no.
tice of.
"Our lawmakers are to blame, in
my opinion, because the masses of
the people would be behind them if
they would attempt to correct, and
surely there is power to correct it,
but instead they are playing politics,
as some of these labor organizations
are playing politics, and It is the
same all down the line"
Mr.. Lee said be did not believe in
giving any one class advantages at
the expense of another, but said as
long as present methods continue he
believes in everybody getting his
share, as nearly as possibly, until
the final upheaval comes. and in my
opinion It is looking US in the face. I"
He declined to suggest how prices
could be reduced, saying the coun-
try was paying millions Of dollars
to men on the hill (Capitol) "who
are supposed to have all the brains
OF the country" and they are not
acting to stop the increases.
Il am not a red card man, but I
am coming close to it II this thing
keeps up" said Mr.. Lee.
Mr.. Lee asked to be allowed to
tell Of his experiences In the recent
strike at Winnipeg. where he said
he found conservative. homecoming
members Of his organization throw
ing away all they had gained In rs
years Of membership and joining in
the general strike because they said:
ITO hell with all this; we can't stand
It any more. Come with US and we
will correct IT,
Mr.. Lee said he could not justify
the fact that wheat is s2.2e in this
country and -four perhaps 81 4 q bar
rel, when -four made from the same
nrndn nf grain nAlIn IA Mnalnna ans.