The St. Charles herald., 1919-10-18

President Wilson's action in refusing
to grant to the railway shopmen more
than n slight increase of wages, and
his statement explaining his course
and appealing to the men, and to all
workers, to stop striking and get TO
work to increase production and there
by help reduce the cost of living. lie
declared it vital to public welfare that
demands for higher wages, "unwisely
made and paSsionately insisted ON,
should cease, and that there should be
a truce In industrial disputes until in
telligent settlements can be made. In
this he was supported by Warren >.
Stone, chief of the engineers, whose
statement implied that the shopmen, II
they insisted on striking, would not be
helped by the four great railway broth
erhoods. The leaders of the Shopmeh
rejected the settlement offered ny
President Wilson and ordered that the
locals take vote on the question.
In his stalep..-t v Trssr - el u.
the A11-TSant q Temporary situation
which will last in all probability, only
for limited time," and in so far as
the cost of the necessaries of life Is
concerned Attorney General Palmer
agrees with him. Mr.. Palmer believes
the price Of almost every necessity will
be lower next year than this, and that
persons who buy clothing and other
articles now for next year will be
fooled and are only helping to keep
prices high. Reduction will be
brought about, he thinks, by the activ-
tiles of the government against prof
iteers and hoarders, the operation OF
| fair price committees, and especially
by increased production. He sees In
| the arguments that induce people to
buy now an organized propaganda pro-
NOTED by greedy dealers.
The department Of justice an
| nounced at was meeting with success
| in obtaining from shoe manufacturers
promise to fix MAXIMUM prices on
shoes, and that in tn matter of food
| stuffs reports indicated slight down
ward tendency, not yet sufficient to be
| reflected in the retail market. In the
| great food centers, however, there
| were considerable declines in prices,
| which perhaps were to be attributed
| in part to the expressed intention OF
| the war department to open retail
| shops in a number Of cities. These
| markets not only will dispose OF the
army's surplus stores, but Will be kept
| omen for an indefinite time for the sale
direct to the people of supplies which
the war department will purchase at
wholesale, according to the present
| plan. This, of course, aroused the op-
positon of the retail dealers, who as
sert that no government agency is nu-
fhoriZed by law to conduct such busl-
ness.
The railroads of the Pacific coast
were tied up for number of days by
strike and the officials Of the unions
had ordered the men TO return to work
under penalty of suspension. They
were warned by Director General
Hines that the government would take
owe, the operation of the lines if they
I'D not at once resume their positions,
and that anyone who interfercd with
the use of railroad property would be
dealt with for having committed an
offepse against the United States.
The committee of the steel and iror
workers, which was given power t.
call q strike unles concessions were
granted by the United States Stee
corporation, was twice refused al
audience by Ebert H. Gary, Chairman
, of the executive committee Of the cor
poration, being told to put It's demand
: in writing. Samuel Gompers, who hat
lust returned from Europe, at one
, took a hand in this serious affair an'
, II was announced that the executive
committee of the American Federation
, Of Labor would consider Mr.. Gary
, attitude and make recommendation
? to the committee Of steel men on tn
advisability of calling a strike.
: Any idea that Uncle Sam did not ir
T tend to enforce the emergency prob
n bition law was dispelled by numerou
0 raids on liquor dealers In Chicag'
Z New York and elsewhere. 1t was
t notorious fact that intoxicating drink
J. could be bought in many Of the large
e cities, at least, and the saloonkeepel
n had grown carelessly brazen. The
d were brought to their senses by arres
It and indictments. and gentlemen I
r bibulous propensitics were aga
forced to 'raw IN their ~ SsGik