The sun., 1919-08-24

10 eNdCtly tnat. Create THIS conoltlon
and let industry. II It wants to. take
advantage OF It, thereby gaining great
ly; II It does not II can stay exactly
where It was placed under the Sher-
man law. 1t will take advantage Of
It.
Price control IL q very compn-
Gated matter and will remain so until
the right basis for It has been agreed
upon. Then II will become as simple
as electrical insulation. That was
difficult until we found out how.
Never let any one convince you
that the high prices Of which we all
complain are the result of what justi-
hably may be called economic causes.
They are due definitely to bad
management which reaches into al
most all the branches Of our human
activity. Control must come through
the voluntary effort Of the American
people cooperating under the dircc-
ton Of the Government The effort
OF the single individual is useless, tho
effort OF the nation combined rs q
unit would be irresistible and must
be put forth II the problem is to be
solved. The work can only be CO.
ordinated and directed by some central
authority. That authority obviously
Is the general government, cooperating
In turn with the State and other
authorities.
Presidential Committee.
The President IL the logical ap-
pointing power TO name a committee
to consider the subject. He could
designate a number of men and ask
them to take up the consideration Of
the matter and report to him.
This they could do in a weeks
time.
THE plan (properly outlined, I am
assuming an Affirmative answer to
the question is the plan worth try
ing7O could be thus worked out in de-
tail and within a month or six weeks
all necessary machinery could be pro-
vided. the central statistical board
created, the State boards set up and
the way cleared for making the ex.
pertinent.
II say experiment because Il rests
after all with the people as to whether
the plan will succeed or not. II pub.
lie opinion fs sufficiently aroused, II
conditions, have faith to believe that
the plan could not fail; that as 3
purely voluntary demonstration by the
American people Of their ability to do
for themselves things that no law or
mandate can force them to do would
prove a success.
"The sooner we understand these
things the better. The high price con-
tasion. unless promptly treated with
curative measures, will extend over an
unnecessarily long period. That might
bo really disastrous. while, as yet
nothing really disastrous may be said
to have occurred.
"But the change for the better can
come only through the cooperation Of
all members of the public.
A Delicate Problem.
Like all things OF the sort the
problem Is one Of great delicacy,
needing the most sympathetic and
intelligent consideration in order
that conditions even more unsatisfac-
tory than those which do exist shall
not be created. The weight of pub
lie opinion, exerted as voluntary effort,
Is the instrument which must be re-
lied upon for the production OF tho de-
sired result.
Nothing compulsory is necessary
or desirable, I believe that after the
PRONUNCIATION Of determined prices the
enforcement OF the plan should and
safely might be left to the people.
Price control was much in evidence
during the war in all the participating
countries. That It was an unqualified
success not even its most enthusiastic
supporter will attempt to maintain, but
that 1t had more or less restraining
influence depending upon the degree
! Of intelligence exercised in maintain
! ing the controD Is undeniable. even
though lack OF coordinate EFFORT and
completeness prevented a large meas