The Meeker herald., 1919-08-16
PRESENT COST OF LIVING 10
UNJUsTIFIEp, SAYS pREsi.
DENT WILSON,.
RELIEF RECOMMENDED
HEAVY PENALTiES NEEDED TO
CHECK FOOD sHARks-
WANTS PRICE TAGS.
western Newspaper Union New. Service.

| Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, Aug 9-President Will
son laid several specific proposals be-
fore Congress today for checking the
high cost Of living, hut at the same
time declared permanent results could
not be expected until peace time
bases were fully restored by rntificn-
ton of the peace trenty. High prices,
the President told Congress, were not
Justified by shortage Of supplies either
present or prospective. but were ere
ated in many cases "artificinlly ana
deliberately" by "viciOus practices.
Retailers, he said, were responsible In
lnre part for extOrtionate prices.
Digest OF Message to Congress rs
follows:
That the control act be extended to
pence time operation, and that Con-
grcss exclude from Interstate MS well
MS intrnstnte shipment goods which did
not comply with Its provisions.
Tint the food law be provided with
n substantial penalty for prOflteerlng
ana that cold storage law be enacted
modelled after the law In New Jersey,
| by which time limit might be placed
on cold storage.
That all goods released from cold
storage be marked with the price pre-
| Willing when they went into storage.
Tint goods In Interstate commerce
be marked with the prices Mt which
they left the producer.
Tint there be q federal licensing
system for corporations engaged In In
tcrstnte commerce which would EN-
body regulations to insure competitive
selling "und prevent uncOnsciOnnble
profits In the method of marketing"
| Demands for increases of wages, &C.
campaigning the rising costs OF living
were justified "if there be no other
means of enabling men to live"
| Surplus stocks Of food and clothing
In the hands Of the government would
be sold and boards Of food in private
hands would be forced out under the
| existing provisions Of the food control
law.
The pending bill to regulate securi-
| tieSt Issue "wOuld do much to stop
speculation and to prevent the fraudu-
lent methods Of promotion by which
our people are annually neeced OF
many millions Of hard-earned money"
Appeal made to merchants and 9th.
ers to deal fairly with the people and
| to housewives to exercise "a greater
vigilance. a more thoughtful economy
"Strikes, undertaken at this time,
would only make matters worse"
No complete and immediate remedy
was to be found In legislation or i'm
mediate action. Processes of supply
and demand would not operate OF
themselves while the country was
neither at peace nor war.
Politically, socially, economically,
the world IL on the operating table
and 1t has not been possible to admin
lister any anaesthetic.
There cnn be no confidence In In
dustry, no calculable basis for credits,
no confident buying or Systematic sell
Ing, no certain prospect OF employ
ment, normal restoration Of business,
no helpful attempt Mt reconstruction
or the proper assembling OF the dis
located elements OF enterprise until
peace has been established, and 30 far
as may be, guaranteed.
There can be no peace prices 30 long
M our whole financial and economic
system Is on war basis.
"There Gun be no little doubt thar
retailers are In part - sometimes In
large part-responsible for exOrbitant
prices"
Supply the public through estab-
lished governmental agencies ana
through publicity with information on
which 1t might judge what profits
should be. Congress should provide