The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1919-12-23
STARTLING ADDRESS
BY SENATOR CAPPER
CONTINUED from Page one)

and from soldiers and sailors, as wei
as from schools. heating plants. and
hospitals.
Unless we check price gouging the
high price of profits is soon to be
translated into the excessive cost Of
existence. We are beginning to hear
about SIS shoes, $50 hand-me-downs
and SIS hats for next spring, notwith-
standing the people have bought and
paid for all the cotton and wooden
mills in a single year, as during the
wal they bought and paid for all the
shoe factories, all the -four mills, the
steel mills, the saw mills, the pack
ing houses, the ~tanneries, the coal
mines, and who knows what else?-
their mercy I do not concede that
as yet labor troubles and slack pro-
duction are responsible, except in
part, for the more and more excessive
toll exacted of the consumer.
while the people made sacrifices
and fought during the war, and are
still fighting and sacrificing, these
industries have paid no part in the
cost of the national defense, nor have
they contributed to help the country
except at war prices and for tremen-
dous profits. And now they are col
lecting their war taxes from the peo-
pie and exacting excessive toll be-
sides by 'coaking' them for all they
can for their products.
According to the newspapers to-
day, Bradstreets reports show that
the cost of things to eat has increased
another 1h per cent in the last thirty
days. Notwithstanding the millions
lost in falling markets by Middle
Western producers. Lumber sells at
from $40 to s102 per thousand feet.
l have it from a lumberman who has
spent his life in the business that this
is at least 80 per ZEN beyond all
reasonable profit.
And SO it goes, and will continue
to CO., Mr.. President, until we beggar
the people, lower consumption, and
kill demand, unless we find the means
to check the game of grab, which is at
the bottom of most of our present
trouble. Men working for wage may
be expected to keep asking for more.
They must, if a family of five is to be
shod with $1S shoes all around and
| supplies with other ~wearables and
prices.
"Proiteering is now a prison Of
Tense, and / hope to see state govern
ments actively assist the federal De-
partment of Justice in bringing such
offenders to book. Let the powers of
the government be summoned into ac-
tion for the protection of the people,
as is now being done so admirably by
the State of Kansas in the coal fields,
keeping in mind every hour of the day
and every day of the week that the
interests of the public are above and
beyond those of any organization or
association, whether of capital or of
individual"
Urging a limitation on gross profits,
Senator Capper said: Il advance
these suggestions, not as emergency
measures only. but to curb a wide
spread evil and abuse which has been
growing until it has become the bane
of legitimate business, a serious han
dicap to honest merchandising, an in
cubus to national prosperity and a
grievous burden to the American peo-
pie, now saddled with a huge war
debt and supporting a $4,000, 600, 900
a year government.
condition by stepping on the other
fellows neck to gain greater profits
or to win a brief increase OF wage.
and least of all, advance our fortunes
by travelling Russia's red road to ruin.
But | want especially today to empha-
size that the business mar who now
seeks personal advantage at the ex-
pense Of the common good is in the
same class as the red flag demagogue,
the black flag profiteer and the war
profit patriot.
IF We, a peaceful nation, can send
1000, 900 Of the best soldiers the world
has ever e e to Europe in one year
and raise s25. O00. 100000 in half as
many months to carry on a war, we
can settle the profteering evil. If we
do not protect from these wolves the
100, 600. 900 men and women who feed
and clothe and supply this country's
needs, we Ear certainly rest assured
that the blame for this failure of duty
ufIl ha nlooaH whora ~ ho1nnoo ot