Deming graphic., 1919-08-12
AFTER II. c. OF l..


President Wilson, In his address to
congress on the high cost OF living. has
added nothing that Is not already
known 10 the victims OF Its extortions.
IL may be true that the president feels
that he has made discoveries. but most
any housewife has more first-hand In.
formation ON the subject than he has
brought out. However, IL Is hopeful
sign when the chief executive gets his
head out Of the clouds and takes an In
terest in our troubles-big and little.
That's what Is wanted. With present
stocks OF food supplies and other ne
cesSltles, we all know the present high
prices are unjustified. There Is profit.
earing somewhere, but how to uncover
it punish and correct Il Is the problem.
The presidents advice to housewives
10 exercise "a greater vigilance, a more
thoughtful economy" isn't going to
help any. Housewives are worried sick
as IL Is. Indeed. IL Is time for some
one else TO exercise a greater vigilance,
a more thoughtful economy. The
president and congress have been neith-
er vigilant nor economical In their
handling OF affairs, indeed. they have
been very careless and Indifferent.
The same applies to striking work
men In general. We know. OF course,
that certain elements of labor, as well
as certain elements OF capital, are In
the game for all they can extort, fall
ing to render the services for the value
received. Loafing on the job Is just
as bad as profiteering and helps as
much to raise the price Of commodities.
But the average workingman IL up
against It, His dollar isn't worth but
a fraction of what II was three years
ago. He has 10 do something or lower
his standard of living.
The president recommended that war
time control be extended TO peace
times selling and buying OF food. This is
all very well. and would probably help.
He also recommended that a new food
law he enacted that would cover the re-
taller as well as the big wholesaler. He
further recommended federal licens-
ing system to insure competitive selling
by those engaged in interstate opera
tions His recommendation to control
by law the issue Of securities can be
appreciated, rs II is well known that
millions of dollars are lost by the peo-
pie through buying Of worthless Sc
curities.
The president Is dead right when he
says the peace treaty ought TO be rati-
fled, but Il would seem that he could
have helped in this a great deal by
pushing the work OF the peace congress
and keeping controversy out OF IL In the
senate by keeping the league OF nations
out Of the scramble. The country Will
not endorse the covenant as drawn, and
getting II accepted as IL will be amend
ed. is going to take time.
The proposal to proceed against the
retailers In cities such as Deming, isn't
going to help much. 1t may be that
proceeding against the packers, already
begun, and other large combinations
may succeed in reducing the wholesale
prices sufficiently so that the retailers
that insist on high prices can be found
out and punished. But the retailer has
to make a profit, too, and he can't 80
long as the big distributors keep mp the
prices to him.
II IL true. | think. that our social
system Is on the verge of collapse. But
while Il tOtters, luxury runs rampant.
The time is coming when those that en-
joy their yacht. big cars, lavish enter
tainment fine clothes and luxurious
apartments will lose all. unless they
take sober thought TO protect the sys-
TEN under which these things are pos
sible. There are a large number OF peo-
pie that have been recently converted
to the idea that they are not worth
protecting. II capital can roll in lux
ury. why can't labor enjoy little idle
ness II would seem that. II those that
possess the capital can be idle, II Is only
fair that those that produced II can
also be idle But the logical conclusion
is ruin and that's just where we are
headed. The only person that Is com
paratively safe today Is one with the
strength and skill to produce some
thing And the time Is not far distant
before such come into their own.
An indication Of the trend OF the
times is the Plum plan to turn the rail-
roads over TO those that operate them
under a sort of government monopoly
or license. This, we know, will de-
crease their efficiency. because there
will he no incentive for one employe to
outstrip another. The plan does away
entirely OF operating for profit, We
want the railroads back In the hand
Of their owners with the same service
we formerly enjoyed. G. +. Plum. at
torney for the brotherhood, charges
that the great banking interests have
looted the railroads And he is proba-
bIy correct. While the railroad
brotherhood Is demanding control OF
railroads. other labor organizations are
playing the same game and they will
win unless congress has something bet
ter TO offer in the way Of regulated pri-
vate ownership.
AnIERIKA HELPS SOM