The sun., 1919-08-05

ment win never be able 10 sell abroad.
When the washington Administra-
ton nailed up the price OF wheat at
such an abnormal level II automati-
cally elevated the prices OF corh and
other grains. And when the WASH
ington Administration did that thing
II doubled and trebied general food
costs; for virtually all the food that
man, woman or child eats IL nothing
but grain. The man eating beef at
his dinner table eats condensed grain.
The baby At lts bottle In the crib
eats condensed grain. The steer that
gives the beef, the COW that gives the
milk, the hen that lays the egg are
alike fed and fattened on grain.
When the Washington Administra-
tlon nailed up the price OF wheat IL
screwed up the price Of labor. for la
Dor had to have more and more
wages TO pay the grossly excessive
food prices which were made by the
Washington Administration when Il
made the grain prices And when the
Washington Administration screwed
up the price OF labor It screwed up
tho cost Of every single thing that is
made by labor.
The Washington Administration
need not search the country over, It
ntoo nut bIAICn OHo IOOl DCgOU ltb
own doorstep. for the cause Of the
fearful cost OF living which. from
having become discomfort, now
grows TO be n menace to the coun-
try.
Until the Washington Administra-
ton knocks from under the wheat
market the props which the Wash
inGton Administration itself has set
up and still holds in place, or until
somebody knocks them out the cost
of living in this country will not
come down and cannot come down.
Unless the Washington Administra-
ton or somebody knocks out these
props from under the wheat market
the cost OF food. the cost of all liv-
ing. will 60 still higher. Then the
job will be done by political dyna-
mite.
The fact u.s." proceeded Mr.. Pittman
"that the Administration didn't favo
the guarantee Of s2.20 a bushel 70
wheat; IL believed the price was beinI
hxed too high. More Republicans thai
Democrats voted for fixing the highe
price. but Il was never a question tina
took on . partisan color at all. Tn
President. II should be remembered
vetoed an entire agricultural appropria
ton bni because the price was fixed a
s2.<o. and he considered It excessive"
WAGE Schedules Assaulted.
wouldn't It be WELL" interposed N.
McCumber, "for the Senate at least I
resolve 10 fix no more legislative wag
schedules7"
Mr.. Pittman inclined to agree, bu
could conceive circumstances in whic
to enable people to meet pressing con
ditions. II might be necessary.
Senator Thomas tColo.) pointed ou
the problem Of living costs IL not con
fnsd to the United States.
Senator Sherman UlL) declared tn
statistics Of tho business of the bi
packers showed that last year the
earned b.6 per cent on their actus
property Investment account. "the low
est return on any like great bushes
Investment in this country or tn
world on their total volume Of bus
ness the aggregate turnover the
earned lie per cent for the veal
Therefore. plainly. the hight cost of liv
ing does not begin with the profits G
the packing concerns. Great and small
there are more than 200 of them. TIL
figures have given are for the nv
greatest concerns. II there Is an undu
Increase in the price OF meats to tn
consumer that increase takes place al
ter they leave the refrigerator cars c
the packers.
The whole question Of the cost q
living. declared Senator Smoot (Utah
10 . world question, to be considere
only n such.
II anticipate trouble everywhere an
before long" he said. unless there
q change soon from the upward tendenc
of prices. Just consider the increase
the expenses Of governments in nv
years, which must come. from the pee
pie. Their aggregate obligations hav
Increased from 10000. 100000 to $500
o0o. o00, 900. Their paper currency no
in circulation In the world has increase
from IS, 900. 900. 900 at the beginning {
the war to $4,000. 900. 900. In our ow
country alone bank deposits have ir
creased since August /. 1914, from s25
900 600, 900 to S75, 900. 900, 900. All thes
evidences Of worldwide imitation bes
directly on our problem of the his
cost Of living. We need to begin hel
and all over tho world, the process
defatins our paper circulation and
start &c ing back to normal. Let n