El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-08-09

THE agitation over the high of living is remark
able in several respects, but chiefly IN the sudden
with which it has ared up to obscure every other
issue and in the fact of its immediate spread TO nation
wide proportions
Up to few days ago it commented On privately
with much seriousness by those suffering from It, but
publicly It appeared mainly in the figures in stores in
market quotations in the newspapers, and IN the hall
humorous remarks of photographers.
There is no humor in it now. It has threatened to
form the basis of strikes throughout the country It has
challenged the attention Of the president congress, the
attorney general the United States the federal district
attorneys and every man and woman in every state
How is the cost of living to be brought down? 1t is
TOO high everybody knows. All admit -and all dis
cam responsibility The farmer Justiiles the pTlceS ne
receives by citing the prices he has to pay for clothing and
the food that ne has to buy and above what he raises
fo seed fertilizer tools and other equipment labor
The manufacturer ustes his charges by the higher costs
OF labor materials fuel and taxes The wholesalers
OF manufactured articles and the mddemen who deal in
products pay these higher prices add their OWL
higher costs Of doing business and their cwn profits and
pass the commodities the retailer who pays all the
accrued charges adds his enlarged business expenses
and his profits-and the pays the whole bill
Then the consumer, If he is wage Garner, demands
higher wages in order to meet the higher cost of living
Granting the wage increases makes still greater the cost
Of production manufacture and of doing business and
another increase in the cost of living results
other
But labor particularly organized labor the chief
sufferer from The soaring living cost. The families Of
slared and Of all professional have been hardest
hit for professional fees and salaries advanced
to keep pace with the diminished purchasing power of the
dollar while wage have at least very nearly kept
However the power Of organization which has
enabled wage to enlarge their income to
cope with living costs has also enabled them make
loudest protest against continuation Of the upward trend
OF prices.
What can be done now is difficult to determine Some
where tangled economic sken there is string to
be pulled that viii be helpful Which and where It?
Go after the profiteersi Who are they?
The finger of suspicion has been pointed at the big
packing companies who, however have been quick to de-
clare their profits meats but fraction of cent
pound who doubtless have the figures to prove
to any investigating commission IN court They have
somewhat less say about the vegetables, eggs milk
and pickles which they also deal It possible
There have been declarations too, that wholesalers
commission merchants and mddlemea generally those who
buy IN large lots all the country and those whose
dealings local and relatively small much TO blame
for high They viii deny 1t and any such formal
charge viii have be proved It IS likely the perncous
practice of storing huge quantities of produce cold stor
age houses thereby creating artificial shortages and higher
prices viii bear very close scrutiny, although there is
the defence shat it is necessary to store seasonal products
against an all year around demand
And in whatever investigations prosecutions there
may be- there be the defence that high wages
tremendously increased transportation costs and taxes
largely responsible for constantly rising cost Of living
There IS much truth in that too The fact IS that the
whole financial level has been raised high that even
there were no proteerng anywhere which there most
certainly is il would be hard task get that level down
II is easy enough to say that the remedy hes IN
foTceent OF the sherman antitrust law But 10 enter
tain suspicious Of guilt and to obtain convictions are very
different matters Criminal civil prosecutions, follow
ing tedious investigations bound to be long drawn out
when carried from court to another They can be
contested for years
Would It be practical for federal commission author
lied by the proper legislation, to put through general
scaling down Of eveTythngwages farm products,
featured articles materials of all kinds, Transports
whether body Of could be selected that
would have knowledge comprehensive enough to perform