Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1919-11-13
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a few words from old Clifty,
as ! see a letter from Lone
Star" giving US all a good scold
ing for not writing to the News.
The mines at this place are
closed on account of the strike of
the miners. My personal opinion
will not have ANYTHING to do in a
settlement of the trouble, but !
hope it will not make matters
worse. | believe our govern
ment is mostly to blame on ac-
count of allowing our wholesale
and retail merchants to get pro,
fits to such an enormous percent.
as to amount to practically high.
way robbery. flour government
had taken steps to prevent such
conduct five years ago. or even
three years ago, we would not to-
day be in such an industrial up
heaval. Five years ago you
could buy the famous Douglas
shoes for $3.50, while now the
same kind of shoes are held at
from $3.50 to $3.50. | call this
some advance, while other things
which we must have have ad-
vanced in about the same pro-
portion. And, now, right here
in Tennessee we can purchase
only 25c worth of sugar at time
and there are 10000, 900 lbs. of
it at New Orleans waiting for
Shipment abroad. Also at New
York there is an immense amount
to be sent abroad.
Now, some will say the Gov
ernment can't help this. Sure it
can prevent shipping away such
as the people need at home, and
if we have a surplus those who
have none ought to be allowed to
have it at a fair price, and not be
made to pay a price which will
prohibit poor people from get
ting any at all. For we all know
that we can't afford to pay for
living as we are at present very
much longer if there is any pos
sible way to lower the cost. Our
government, so far as | know,
has never punished anyone whom
it has prosecuted for profiteering
in any commerce of our country.
| know our Congress and Senate
could set a maximum price on
any or all foods if they so chose,
just the same in peace as in war,
and thus prevent those who have
no sense of honor from robbing
the people at a time when pro-
duction was below normal and
the country in a condition where
the people can't help themselves.
If the autocrats of our country
were just men and wanted to do
the right thing, they could
change conditions so that it would
make it possible for Us to live
without strikes. such as we have
now
The writer of this article is
now 60 years of age and has
worked among miners for 33
years of the go. | know the
miners are the most abused of
any class in this nation from the
fact they just pay the price asked
by the operators and spend all
they earn at the company store,
if they have one, and nearly all
coal corporations have one. If
the company gives an increase in
wages, almost invariably the
prices of all they must buy go up
and their store manager and
clerks tell you lard is advancing,
and nearly everything goes up in
price, so instead of an increase
you have a cut in wages. know
these are facts from my own ex-
perience, and can prove it by
good men and bad men alike. |
can prove it by men who have
had charge of commissaries and
clerks who have worked in their
stores. Another thing they
practice is to advance the price
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