The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1919-09-20

the victims of economic conditions be
yond anybody's control. Their asser
tons that they make an almost infin
itesmal profit and often operate at 8
loss do not seem to make much i'm
preston on either the public or the
agencies of justice. That their state
ments are not always ingenious is in
stanced by the following assertion OF
the Commercial research department
Of one Of the big five:
'The general high price level is moi
due to manipulation. This is shown
by a recent report Of the war indus
tries board, which proves that prices
in other countries Of the world have
risen as much as or more than they
have in the United States, and that
this has been true even in countries
relatively unaffected by war conditions,
such as Japan and Australia"
The truth is that Australia is glutted
with food products and its people are
struggling to keep prices up to a prof
liable level. Also, while there was a
big advance in the prices Of Japan's
chief food, rice, 1t was admittedly due
to the manipnlations of hoarders and
profteers and was the cause Of riots
and Of government action.
The sugar situation is confusing
and statements are as conflicting as
those relating to the packing industry.
However the government believes the
sugar men also are profiteering and
three officials of the Pittsburgh branch
Of q Chicago concern were arrested.
1t Is asserted that scalpers have vast
quantities of sugar stored away and
that dealers are forced to buy where
they can and pay what is asked. In
this, as In the case of other food prod
ucts, the accused say the government
is partly to blame for shipping vast
supplies to Europe and thus creating
a domestic shortage. The concerted
attacks by federal and local authori-
ties caused immediate and sharp de-
clines in the wholesale prices of many
foods, but there was little evidence
that the consumer was proflting by the
declines, which seemed to put some Of
the onus on the retailers.
The federal trade commission late
~ has been making an inquiry into the
shoe business, and has informed con-
gress that the high prices of shoes are
due to the unprecedented and unjust
flied profits taken by the slaughterers,
tanners, manufacturers and dealers.
Here, again, the packers are hit, for
they are charged with causing an I'M
warranted increase in the price of
hides, the supply of which they are
said to control.
Following up the memorandum of
the locomotive engineers presented to
the president, fourteen railroad uni
ons acting as unit handed to Director
General Hines demand for wage in
creases with general program de-
signed to meet the present crisis, in
volving the threat Of general railroad
strike. They ask that congress appro-
pirate the money to provide increased
pay and that the proper rate-making
body then determine what increases
II any should be made In rates.
"Any permanent solution Of the rail-
road problem must necessarily remove
the element Of returns to capital as the
sole purpose of operation" say the
unions, and so the director general is
asked to recommend to President Will
son that he try to obtain the passage
by congress of the so-called Plumb
plan. This plan, in eliminating pri-
vate capital from the railroads. not
only proposes but demands that the
present private owners be reimbursed
with government bonds for "every hon.
est dollar that they have invested;
that the public, the operating manage
ments, and labor share equally in cor
porations to take over the railroads,
and that in all revenues In excess of
he guarantee to private capital the op-
orators and employees share one-half.
either by increasing the means for
service without increasing fixed charg-
IS or by reducing the cost Of the SER
fee which the machinery then in ser
ender."
The union leaders say that II the
plumb plan is rejected they will start
i campaign both in and out Of con-
,ress that will compel its adoption,
ind they declare frankly that 1t is their
,ope that 1t will lead to the rationale
.ation. of all other basic industries.
senator Thomas Of Colorado de-
bounced the demands Of the rail work.
srs az near-treason. and other mem
,ers OF congress shared his opinion,
'nourh they were less outsuoken.