Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1919-08-27
MISSOURI DEMOCRAT
FORCES SHOE PROBE
Efforts of Republican Leaders To
Block Investigation of High
Cost of Footwear Fail

Washington, d. c., Aug. 27.-De-
spite delays and distractions placed
in his way by Republican members
of the House, particularly Speaker
Gillett and Floor Leaders Mondell,
Representative VIM. l.. Igoe Demo
crat) Of Missouri, has finally succeed
in getting through the House his
resolution directing an investigation
by the Federal Trade Commission in
to the high cost of shoes.
Republicans have placed obstacles
in the resolutions way ever since it
was introduced, which was before the
Republican plan for recess of the
House was baked by President Will
sons request that the House remain
in session and give attention to the
high cost of living problem. When
it appeared that the House was go
ing to recess from early in August
to September 9, Representative Igoe
sought to get through resolution
directing the shoe inquiry to be made
during the recess, in order that a re-
port might be brought in Immediately
after the proposed recess.
But through the tactcs of Floor
Leader Mondell and the autocratic
Igoe, former rulings of Speakers
Gillett, neither Mr. Igoe, former
speaker Champ Clark nor any other
Democrat was able to get recog-
milton on the floor of the House in
order to bring the resolution to a vote.
At the insistence of Mr.. Igoe, the
resolution was made to call for an in
vestigation of shoes, only. The plan
to have it also include the price of
clothing, sugar and coffee was oppos-
ed by Mr.. Igoe for the reason that an
inquiry of such wide scope would
probably consume months, maybe
even year or two, and the report
thus not brought in in time to be of
any benefit in dealing with the pres
ent emergency. He insisted that the
resolution call only for an investiga-
ton into the cause and necessity, if
any, for the present high cost of liv-
ing cost of shoes, and the threatened
raise of fifty per cent additional in
their cost during the next few
months, the Federal Trade Commits
sion to continue such an investigation
made back in 1917 through 1918 and
1919 and thus bring down to the pres
ent.
If the inquiry should develop that
there has been profteering in shoes,
that anybody from the maker down
to the retailer has been undue profits
in boots and shoes, it would show to
Congress what the methods of those
who are profiteering are and would
enable Congress to deal intelligently
with the situation. In short, Mr..
Igoe urged that an investigation into
one line would form basis on which
Congress might legislate against all
forms of profiteering. Such an in
vestigation, confined to one thing,
could be made in very short time,
a few weeks, whereas if the Federal
Commission were directed to investi-
gate into charges of profiteering in a
half dozen lines, so much time would
be consumed that the Commissions
report would come too late to be of
any help to Congress in drafting
legislation to meet the present
situation.
Attempts to get the resolution
through the House failed until Mr..
Igoe finally succeeded in getting it on
the unanimous consent calendar,
whence he was able to get it up for
consideration because none of the Re-
publicans who opposed the investiga-
dared make objection. To have made
such objection then would have placed
the objecting member on record
against such an inquiry, and when
the Missouri Congressman succeeded
in maneuvering the members on the
other side Of the Floor into that posi-
tion, he got his resolution through.