New-York tribune., 1919-12-03


widespread condition Of political
causes of this unrest, while various
and complicated, are superficial
rather than deep-scated Broadly,
they arise from or are connected
with the failure on the part Of our
government to arrive speedily at
just and permanent peace. permitting
return to normal conditions; from
the TRANSMISSION of radical theories,
from seething European centers
pending such delay, from heartlcss
proftcering, resulting in the increase
Of the cost Of living. and lastly from
the Vaccinations Of passionate and
malevolent ngitators.
With the return to normal condi-
tions this unrest will rapidly disap-
pear In the mean time It does much
evil.
1t seems to me that In dealing with
this situation Congress should not be
impatient or drastic, but should seek
rather to remove the causes. 1t
should endeavor to bring our country
back speedily to q peace basis, with
amchorated living conditions under
the minimum of restrictions upon
personal liberty that is consistent
with our reconstruction problems.
And it should arm the Federal gov
ernment with power to deal in its
criminal courts with those persons
who by violent method would abro-
gate our time tested institutions.
With the free expression of opinion
and with the advocacy of orderly
political change, however fundamen-
but toward passion and malcvolcncc
tending to incite crime and insurrec-
tion under guisc of political evolution
there should be no leniency
Legi to this end has been
recommended by the Attorney Gen
eral and should be enacted. In this
direction ! would call your attention
to my recommendations on August
s, pointing out Legislative measures
AS ] pointed out in my last mes
sage, publicity can accomplish great
deal in this campaign. The aims of
the government must be clearly
which would be effective in controll-
ing and bringing down the present
high cost OF living, which contributes
so largely to this unrest On only
one of these recommendations has
the Congress acted. If the govern
mcnt's campaign is to be effective, it
Is necessary that the other steps sug-
gested should be acted on at once.
renew and strongly urge the ne
cossity of the extension of the pres
cnt food control act as to the pc
riod of time in which it shall remain
IN operation. The Attorney General
has submitted bin providing for an
extension of this act for period of
SIX months AS it now stands, it is
limited in operation to the period Of
the war and becomes imperative
upon the formal proclamation Of
peace. 1t is imperative that it should
be extended at once The Depart
ment of Justice has built up extcn-
sive machinery for the purpose of
enforcing its provisions, all of which
must be abandoned upon the CON
clusion of peace unless the provi-
sions of this act are extended.
During this period the Congress
Will have an opportunity to make
similar permanent provisions and
regulations with regard to all goods
destined for interstate commerce and
to exclude them from interstate ship
mcnt If the requirements of the law
are not complied with. Some such
q .
The abuses that have grown up in
the manipulation of prices by the
Withholding of foodstutfs and other
nccessaries Of life cannot otherwise
be effectively prevented. There can
be no doubt of either the necessity
or the Legitimacy of such measures.
brought to the attention of the con-
suming public, civic organizations
and state officials, who are in q poi
ton to lend their assistance to our
efforts. You have made available
funds with which to carry on this
campaign, but there is no provision
III the law authorizing their expendi-
turc for the purpose of making the
public fully informed about the efforts
OF the government Specific recon-
mendation has been made by the
Attorney General in this regard.
| would strongly urge upon you its
immediate adoption, as it constitutes
one of the preliminary steps to this
campaign.
also renew my recommendation
that the Congress pass law regu-
latlng cold storage as it is regulated
for example, by the laws of the State
of New Jersey, which limit the time
during which goods may be kept in
storage, prescribe the method Of dis
posing Of them if kept beyond the
permitted period, and require that
goods released from storage shall in
all cases bear the date of their re-
ceipt.
1t would materially add to the
serviceability of the law, for the
purpose we now have in view, if it
were also prescribed that all goods
released from storage for interstate
shipment should have plainly marked
upon each package the selling or
market price at which they went into
storage BY this means the pur-
chaser would always be able to learn
what profits stood between him and
the producers or the wholesale
dealer.
would also renew my rcommen-
dation that all goods destined for in
terstate commerce should in everv
case, where their form of package
makes it possible. be plainly marked