The sun., 1919-08-09
Gentlemen Of the Congress:

= I have sought this opportunity
to address you because il ls clearly
my duty to call your attention to
the present cost Of living and to
urge upon you with all the per-
suasive force of which am
capable the legislative measures
which would be most effective in
controlling It and bringing 1t
down.
The prices the people Of this
country are paying for everything
that II Is necessary for them to
use iIs order to live are not justi-
b fed by a shortage in supply. either
present or prospective, and are in
many cases artif1cially and delib-
erately created by vicious prac-
tices which ought Immediately to
be checked by law.
They constitute a burden upon
US which is the more unbearabla
because we know that II Is VIII
fully imposed by those who have
the power, and that 1t can. by
vigorous public action, be greatly
lightened and made to square with
the actual conditions Of supply and
demand. Some Of the methods by
which these prices are produced
are already illegal, some Of them
criminal. and those who employ
them will be energetically pro-
ceeded against; but others have
not yet been brought under the
law and should be dealt with at
once by legislation.
I need not recite the particu-
lars OF this critical matter. The
prices demanded and paid at the
sources of supply. at the factory,
In the food markets, at the shops,
in the restaurants and hotels, are
alike in the city and in the village.
They are familiar to you. They
are the talk Of every domestic cir
Gle and of every group of casual
aoquaintances even.
It is matter of familiar knowl-
edge, also. that a process has set
in which is likely. unless some
thing is done. to push prices and
rents and the whole cost of living
higher and yet higher In q vic1ous
circle TO which there Is no logical
or natural end.
Increased wages Asked.
With the Increase in the prices
nnands for increases in wages-de-
mands which are justified II there
be no other means of enabling
men to live. Upon the increase of
wages there follows close an in
crease In the price of the products
whose producers have. been ac-
corded the increas. not a proper
tionate increase. for the manu-
facturer does not content himself
with that-but an increase con-
siderably greater than the added
wage cost, and for which the
added wage cost is oftentimes
hardly more than an excuse.
The iaborers who do not get an
increase in pay when they demand
II are likely to strike. and the
strike only makes matters worse. It
checks production. II 1t affects
the railways, 1t prevents distribu-
tion and strips the markets, SO
that there Is presently nothing to
buy. and there is another excessive
addition to prices resulting from
p the scarcity.
THESE are facts and forces with
which We have become only too
familiar: but we are not justified.
because OF our familiarity with
them or because of any hasty and
shallow conclusion. that they are
natural" and inevitable, In sit
ting inactively by and letting them
work their fatal results II there is
anything that we can do to check,
: correct or reverse them. I have
sought this opportunity to inform
the Congress what the Executive
is doing by way Of remedy and
control. and to suggest where ef-
fective legal remedies are lacking
and may be supplied.
We must, think, frankly admit
that there is no complete. immedi-
ate remedy to be, had from legisla-
tion and executive action. The
free processes OF supply and de-
mand will not operate of them
selves and no legislative or ex-
ecutive action can force them into
full and natural operation until
there is peace.
There is now neither peace nor
war. All the world is waiting
with what unnerving fears and
haunting doubts who can ade-
iquately say?-waiting to know
when Il comes; a peace in which
each nation shall make shift for
itself as 1t can, or a peace but
tressed and supported by the will
and concert OF the nations that
have the purpose and the power
to do and to enforce what Is right.
Politically. economically. socially
the world Is on the operating table,
and 1t has not been possible to ad-
minister any an@sthetic. It is
conscious. 1t even watches the
capital operation upon which 1t
knows that its hope OF healthful
life depends. 1t cannot think it's
business out or make plans or give
intelligent and provident direction
to It's affairs while in such case.
Where there Is no peace Of mind
there can be no energy in en-
deavor. There can be no confidence
In industry, no csiculable basis for
credits. no confident buying or
Systematic selling. no certain pros
pest OF employment, no normal
restoration Of business. no honAfiIl