The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-11-12
GOVERNMENT MUST
CONTROL PRICES
It is Necessary to Have Laws
To Protect Public

Washington, Nov. 7.--EA asion Of
the Lever food and fuel control law
for six months after the proclamation
of peace is necessary to protect the
country from high prices, Attorney
General Palmer today told the house;
agriculture committee.
Unnatural economic conditions
the attorney general said, would be
taken advantage Of by Inscriptions
people tc make prices high unless the
powers granted Under the act are con-
tinued in force" These conditions,
he said, prevail throughout the world
The conditions in the country inn
n1ediately following peace make it
even more necessary that the law be
continued than the conditions that
prevailed and led to the enactment
Of the original act," said the attorney
general.
The act originally had for its pur7
pose the increase of production and to
protect the people from war time con-
ditions that result in very high prices.
Since the armistice prices have yeEy
largely increased and unless the goY-s
ernment control is continued over
some commodities the after v-"r con-.
ditions might result in higher prices
than during the war itself.
suggestions by committee members
that extension Of all sections Of the
| law was unnecessary were answered by
the attorney general by urging blank
ct extension for he said unexpected
situations might arise" and that the
, mere existence Of the law would be
OF wholesome influence.
THE main purpose of the extension
would be to stop profteerinS," declar-
cd the attorney general.
Answering questions regarding the
bitun,inous coal miners strike, the at
torney genera, said the department or
justice lad no legal plans other than
it's injunction suit at Indianapolis, for
dealing with the strike situation.
The failure Of the men to carry
out the contract to work at certain
wage during the war is the primary
cause he added, in reply to ques-
tio.. as to whether the strike was due
to the war conditions.
Under the law, the attorney sener-
!aI declared in response to a question
the president had power Ito take over
the coal mines. if he saw fit" He also
said that under the Law the resur-
rectcd fuel administration could con-
tirluc fer six months. Price fixing OF
food also is possible under the law,
but the attorney general said he knew
of nothing that co'ltenplates use
of this authority
Mr.. Palmer SAID he was not certain
that the conditions making extension
Of the law advisable would end IN
six months but he declared that such
a period would be as ''short as con-
3, ess would undoubtedly wish to make
i.
No suggestion was made during the
hearing about an effort to block the
president in lifting wartime prohibi-
ton but in referring to the section OF
the Lever act prohibiting manufacture (
or import Of Intoxicating liquors tn"
attorney general said facetiously 1T
would rot be needed after next jan
uary' when national prohibition be-
comes effective.
Action on the attorney generals re-
quests. both as to the extension Of the
food control and making approprN
tons for an educational campaign
against the high cost Of living to meet
the present campaign Of buy now,
was deferred until Monday.