New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-09-05
C LIVING COST

The press has been flooded with
much stuff on the subject Of redue'
ing the high cost Of living for sew
erai weeks. The administration al
Washington has aired its views and
what is was gong TO do. OTatorJ
has flowed freely in Congress and
filled much space in the Congress
sional Record In the mean time
NJ the face OF the activity OF the
department OF justice to put the pro-
~liteers behind the bars, the high
prices continue seronely to prevail
These are At least three distinct
causes Of the present high ost OF
everything TO the consumer the sc.
rious initiation OF currency the
world over. the stagnation n pro
duction the world over, and the
RreediHess OF every body that DIS
fr,butes the necessities OF HE
The profiteer touches every one
and hence more compliant IS made
against this feature OF high cost.
Proftcerinp sc rampant Big and
httlc dealers grab Just as much as
,h,y can Propaganda X y, died
thar prices on food and clothing
must advance. The merchant has
ne eall to advertise that now IS
Che time 10 buy because later these
same goods will cost more money
Bui 50 far the administrator seems
unable 70 reach the proiiteer
Could the proflteer be brought 10
his knees or still better be sent 20
Jail. prizes would naturally drop Be
caus, OF other factors prices can
not go 20 the prewar level al once,
but a start ~downwards would era-
dually lead TO a level of prices 20
that the low paid people could again
begin to iiY, ike American.
We hear teraful stories about the
suffering abroad and they justly
srouse American sympathy. But why
should the people in America today
that are lily fed and scantily cloth
ed. be overlooked Any number OF
people in tins country receive lit
lie more for their labor, because they
are not organized. than they re
ceited before the war. They must
ScImp III every way to live under
present prices.
The profiteerlng Is not alone III
merchandise. The wage levels III
this country have been sadly DIS
organized. beduse organized labor
has been able to force the granting
OF high WaRe> This abnormal in
crease IN wages IN certain lines has
60 be met eventually by the con-
sumner and the every day citizen get,
hit the hardest
AyL+B4v FY.4ar tB.+ Naomi. rrt..E
far above normal is the st4gnaifon
in production the world over The
great war unsettled everything the
pcoplc included They are not ready
g. settle down to regular routine
81 dailv production In tins coun
nv nlllious of people were taken
away IRON their regular oallings 10
produce things needed for the war
The wefe paid very high wages
Since the war closed many of these
have shown no desire 30 return
70 prewar occupations. They are
hike MaCawber waiting FOR something
70 turn up
4; presenl there are TWO things
can be done 10 hclr reduce
high prices speeding up production
and swattine the profitecr The adj
Illustration has rs duty IN both
Iields. But ever, individual can do
something IN ms locality II
syery one IS willing 10 work q lit- :
lie harder 20 produce n little more, ,
: will before long amount 20 large ,
,mount' ~ this country Of over 100, :
s00O people II is not necessary ,
g waste any sympathy on the pro- .
itecr be he BIC or lutte. lus' have )
'@atted a. effectively as the .
av Hi'l permit. s.