Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-01

y. .. WOulu make UuaIautee 70
Farmers-Railroad Men See
President as to Wages.
A special committee to consider
means of reducing the high cost Of
living was appointed at the meeting
yesterday of members of President
Wilson's cabinet with Attorney Gem
eral Palmer. The committee will COM
pile suggestions thus far made and
report to the cabinet Monday, when
further steps will be taken.
One suggestion made, Mr.. Palmer
said. was that the government sell
this years wheat crop at the market
price. to be determined by the law OF
supply and demand. and make up the
guarantee to the farmers out of the
billion-dollar fund appropriated by
Cong
Members of Committee.
Composing the special COMMITTEES
are Director General Hines Of the
railroad administration. Federal
Trade Commissioner Colver and As
sistant Secretary Lefingwell Of the
Treasury Department
Mr. Palmer conferred with Secre-
| tary Tumulty at the White House
today and he said afterward that the
work Of the special committee would
be to embody all suggestions into "A
comprehensive program, attacking
the high cost of living all along the
line. by way of the law of enforce-
ment and the law Of suggestion" He
added that natural causes for high
living costs were accelerated by other
causes commonly known as profteer-
| ing"
Railroad Men See President.
L. e. Shepherd, chief of the Brothers
hood Of Railway Conductors, acconA-
panied by national officers Of that ors
ganization, called on President Wilsou
today to discuss with him. the con.
ductors' recent demand on the railway
wage commission for wage increases
averaging IS per cent. 5sszsss
The delegation told the President the
| conductors we're obliged to ask for the
years their wages had fallen below tn
price Of necessaries to the extent o. ~
per cent. - - 80. ;is.s
IAN increase of IS per cent would
Put; the sconductors exactly where they
were six yeArs aga MT. GhsphpyA
1--we were not fully patd.r
Reference waA made BY one momb<Y
Of the delegation to the recent actfe4
4 Of the Italian government In cuttI1G
the cost of food 50 per cent in that
country. to which the President VIZ
said to have replied that no such
drastic action could be taken under
the laws Of the United States, !
On leaving the White House, Af.
Shepherd said he had been given 70
understand that the President, In
dealing with the situation, was limit-
ed to the enforcement Of laws already
on the statute books. ,sftlS
Congress Considers Relief.
various governmental agencies. who
were summoned to. conferences BY
Attorney General Palmer late yester-
day were seeking facts to submit At
| q further conference next week, both
the Senate and House were considers
ing various relief measures.
| Resolutions proposing investigations
from, various angles have been intro
duced or are In prospect, while some
suggest specific action. One OF these
would request the Attorney General to
stop speculation in food on exchange.
another would reduce the volume OF
currency in circulation as means OF
debating prices.
Following similar action by the
Brotherhood of Railway Engineers.
1
men. through their chairman. w. 9.
Lee, yesterday announced that unless
living costs are reduced the train
men will be compelled to demand
ment Mr.. Lee declared that a soly-
ton of the unrest throughout the
country could best be met by q reduox
| tion in food and clothing prices
rather than in wage increases. He
charged that wage increase inva-
riably was followed by an advance
| in the cost of living aad said the
situation presented an endless chain.
Causes Present High Prices. i.
Discussion Of the high cost Of living
and possible remedies therefor arose
in. the Senate today. when Senator
Myers Of Montana called up his reso-
1 luton requesting the banking and
currency committee to investigato
and report on the advisability OF re-
ducfng the amount OF money now IN
circulation. 80
Senator Myers believes that fnfia-
1 ton in currency and credit is large
ly responsible for present high prices.
| Senator Thomas of Colorado, while
sympathizing with the object sought
| to be obtained by Senator Myers. de-
| clared that he doubted the efficacy or
| the suggestion Of the Montana sena-
tor.
| He said that the country is at pres
emit suffering from the impetus to
abnormal conditions given by the war
! and which is carried on after peace.
What we are suffering FROM" said
Senator Thomas, els an inflated po-
| Iitical, social. economic and financial
| condition. 1t is impossible to bring
] these conditions to an immediate con-
| clusion The credit of the nation
| had to be mobilized when we entered
| the war. and 1t WAS"
senator Thomas said that each tins
wages were increased prices also I'M
creased He said that 1t was an end.
| less circle.
Demand for More Wages.
/ Those attending the conference 1t
the Attorney Generals office included
Secretaries Glass, Wilson. Houston
and Redfield, Director General Of Rail-
roads Hines, Chairman Victor N. MUIR
dock of the Federal Trade Commits
sion, Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury LeffingweH and w. B. Col
yer of the Federal Trade Commia-
sion.
It developed today that demands for
more wages were pending before the
railroad administration from several
hundred thousand employees. Perhaps
the frankest talk which government
officials have heard in a long time
came in this connection. in the state
ment of w. G. Lee. president Of the
ment board. Mr.. Lee told the board
proper solution of the present eco-
NJ yr,ic IA I'd ah{ns ,,ndHr which xuortripw