Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-09-07

to purchase things not necessary, is what per-
mits profiteering to go
do not contend that the big packers
the only profteers. for it is true that profteer-
ing runs practically the whole gamut of COM
modities, but do contend that since the pack
ers are involved in the .profteering connected
with almost all foodstun0 and with the boot
and shoe trade, through their control of the
hide markets and the tanning industry, one of
the first elements in the solutio of the high
cost-of-nving problem is the effective dealing
: with the prsd<tory activities OF the packer
The big packers have been able to dictate
prices to producer and consumer alike. Not
alone in meat do the big five packers dominate
the market: they have obtained control SINH
lar in extent over the principal meat substi-
tutes. such as eggs, cheese. poultry, milk. but
ter, fish and all kinds of vegetable oil products
The control covers the price paid the producer
of food at end and the price charged the
consumer of food at the other end.
Cold storage had its genesis in the proper
desire to preserve perishable foodstufs until
they should be needed. So long it
ployed for that purpose it performed useful
and praiseyorthy function, but in the hands of
the packer cold storage has been perverted into
an instrument of boarding and price-manpula-
tion, until it's original purpose and only excuse
for existence has all but been lost sight Of
The interest of the public is the first to be
considered, and that interest will be best served
when supply of food products is available
continuously at reasonable prices, safe from the
Vaccinations of the SPECTATORS.
Excess profits taxes have contributed to
high cost Of living. The government intended
that the cost of the war should be paid by those
best able to bear the burden. But it is not
working that way. The excess profits tax has
not only raised prices, but it is making the con-
sumer pay for the The manufacturer
jobber wholesaler, commission man and re-
taller adds enough to his price to pay his ex-
cess profits tax and leave him about the same
net profit. In the end. the consumer pays the
tax through increased prices of his food
and clothing. l confess l do not know how
this can be stopped. But am of the opinion
that 1t is time few profteers and food gam
blers were put behind prison bars Whatever
else is done, the abolition of the food gambler
should be immediate step. The gambler
has place in human society. He produces
nothing; he performs useful function. The
gambler who boards foodstuffs and corners the
market by his illegal manipuations is crimi-
nal, who should be dealt with deal with
other criminals. If the government will make
profteering really dangerous. that method of
preying on the public will become extinct,
at least negligible
Probably we are not going to stop profteer-
ing entirely until we limit profits by law Dur
ing ordinary times manufacturer was salts
fled with narrow margins of profit. Now a
shoe manufacturer demands as much profit as
some shoes used to cost. to say nothing of the
enormous profits the packers demanding for
hides and leather. Unless we limit the
profits of manufacturing and selling to a liber-
ally fair return. no one is going to stop proteer-
ing whenever and wherever he gets chance
to tack bigger price.
This is time when partisanshfp should be
put aside and every member Of the govern
ment. whether he be representative, senator
cabinet officer, or the President himself, should
cooperate to the fullest extent to throttle the
rapacious and infamous profteer and bring his
extortions to end.
The whole program of legislation to end the
reign of monopoly and exploitation. that has
become more and more acute during the war
and the readjustment period following the war,
must be pressed with vigor. l not con-
cerned about the source from which the rene
dial measures come-whether they be demo-.
cratic republican sources. or whether they
have any partisan origin whatever What 1 am
concerned about is that they shall be acted on
with promptness and vigor and that return
to normal conditions of peace and prosperity
shall be brought about with the utmost pos
sible speed. There has been quite enough of
inquiry and investigation along these lines.