Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-08-13
Democrats Are Trying to Dodge IT,
Responsibility Says Representa- .
tive @. w. Riddick Re- "a
publican Farmer Repr-
sentative From
Montana
GOVERNMENT EXTRAVAGANCE
AND WASTE CHARGED
sCharges President Wilson With
Spending Six Months i'm Europe
! Breaking Back of u. s., So
Not to Break Heart of
Europe


Washington, D. C.-Charges that
the Democratic administration is re-
sponsible for the high cost of living
problem and that it is endeavoring to
dodge Responsibility for condition it
has brought about, were made today
by Repr esentative Carl w. Riddick, a
Republican farmer representative
from Nd tana.
Mr.. Rids9ick charges President Will
son with having spent six months in
Europe breaking the back of the
United States so we may not break
the heart of Europe, and introduced
resolutions asking the President to
stop talking and take action.
Mr.. Riddick was barred from the
opportunity of speaking on his reso-
luton because dof. the agreement that
has been entered into to bar speech
es, but commented on them fully,
afterwards.
In spite of the failure to exemplify
the objections in the form or an au-
dress. Mr. Ricdick's resolutions are
regarded as the expression of the
Republican attitude on the Presi-
dents sudden awakening to the ex-
istence Of high living cost problem
in the United States. ~
Mr.. Riddick charges that the Pres
ident has all the laws he needs on
the statute books to attack the prob
lem and that 1t is case of passing
the buck" to throw on congress the
responsibility for doing in six weeks
what the administration acknowledge
es it could not or would not do in
six years.
The resolution introduced by Mr..
Riddick is as follows:
Whereas. the primary causes of
the high cost of living, due to and
correctible by administrative action,
are:
"First-Government extravagance
and waste, creating fictitious prices
end causing taxation to be loaded on
the cost of the necessities >of life.
''Second-The purchase and hoard
ing by the War Department. of vast
quantities of food, clothing and other
materials required at proflteer prices
and causing general prices to rise in
sympathy.
"Third-The exportation in vast
quantities of necessities for the re-
lief of foreign populations, thus de-
creasing the supply of staples in the
United States.
"Fourth-The continued initiation
of the currency under the manage
ment of the Federal Reserve aet,
causing depreciation of the value
of the dollar.
''Fifth-The encumbering of the
payroll with hordes of unnecessary
and unproductive government en-
ployees.
"Sixth-The failure and refusal OF
the administration to enforce exist
ing federal statutes prohibiting
combinations in unfair restraint OF
trade, therefore be it.:
Resolved by the House of Repre-
sentatives, the Senate concurring
that the President is hereby request
ed to employ the means directly
within his power for the relief of the
people Of the United States from ex-
ploitation by profiteers and from high
living costs imposed byl administered.
i've methods, before asking Congress
for additional legislation which will
be powerless TO remedy the situation
in the face Of the failure and neglect
10 the executive department to util.
ize the means of relief within Its
immediate power"
Commenting on the resolutions
Mr.. Riddick said that the admins
tration had ignored the existence ol
the Sherman antitrust law, had been
guilty of wasteful extravaganza and
had made no effort to stop pronteer-
ing He said that under the opera
tions Of the Federal Reserve board
the currency had become so inflated
that the country not only had Mr.
Bryan's so cent dollar but had Q
"dollar that looked like 80 cents
eve have, ~politicalized the rail-
roads" said Mr.. Riddick, *and raised
the passenger and freight rates to
point that would have caused popu'
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