Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1919-08-29

The situation in Upper Silesia Is
confused and confusing. The Germans
and the Poles are fighting each other
in a desultory fashion there, and Doth
are %contending with the striking
workers Of the country who have De-
come so violent that the German au-
thorities proclaimed martial law.
The new German constitution ha
just gone into effect, and a summary
of it has been made public in Amer
lea. 1t seems to be in most respects
an admirable document, designed to
establish and maintain a moderate
and commendable form of republican
government, more strongly centralized
than our own. The powers of the
president are very great. The equal
ity of all men and women before the
law is asserted, and titles of nobility
are abolished except las a part of a
persons name" 1t is noticeable, how
ever, that Germany is still called an
empire. 1t may be added, as a matter
of interest, that the former kaiser has
just bought a place of residence in
Holland, and that current reports of
his fast failing health are fatty con-
tradicted by a correspondent who sees
William nearly every day.
Uncle Sans war against the prof
iteers and hoarders went on steadily
;f ~o4 eo crr;ffIu n q fhn uiafin1c of tho
H. c. of L. might have hoped. The
ultimate consumer hailed with en-
thusiasm the assertion by Attorney
General Palmer that the small retail
ers as well as the big retailers and
the wholesalers are going to feel the
heavy hand of the department of JUS
tice. He appeared before the house
committee on agriculture to discuss
proposed amendments to the food con-
troll act, and argued against a pro
vision that would exempt from prose
cution as. proiteers those retailers
who do an annual business below
100000. Many of the complaints of
e~xtortionate prices, he said, are
against the small dealers and he add
ed he would feel hopeless if he were
restricted to the larger dealers. Mr..
Palmer also asked the committee to
withdraw the proposed provision Civ
ing the president authority to fix
prices. This, he said, he considered
unnecessary and calculated to provoke
too much discussion. The only amend
ya0nfc hn foxrOral n, onA avtandinu
the scope of the act to include wear
ing apparel and containers of foods,
feeds and fertilizers, and one impos-
ing a penalty of $1,000 or imprison-
ment for two years for ~profteering.
The great quantities of foodstuffs
which have been seized in various
cities by the agents of the department
of justice will not be placed on the
market until proper court proceedings
have been completed. Meanwhile the
government is disposing of its vast
surplus army stores practically at
cost, and the way in which hundreds
of thousands of people struggle for a
chance to buy these commodities is
sufficient evidence of their need.
The actors strike, after spreading
to Chicago, became so stubborn a
struggle there that the unions of mu-
sicans and stage hands were called
on for help. with the result hat near
ly every theater al obliged to close.
Efforts to end the strike amicably in
New York were fruitless, and it was
said there it might be extended to COW
er the entire country and all hall
shows, including the movies.
Within a week there probably will
be a conference between the officials
of the steel workers unions and rep
reSentatives of the United States Steel
corporation. If it is refused by the
latter, a committee headed by Samuel
Gompers is empowered to call a strike
forthwith. The corporation maintains
the open shop, and the unions wish to
present to it a rather portentous list
of II basic demands.
Cudahy, Wis, and Hammond. Ind.
were b scenes of strike riots and