Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-08-08

(Staff Correspondent of the Alhuquet-
que Journal and New York WorldD
Copyright, 1919, by the Press publish
ing Co.
London, Aug. THE progress of
Americas mobilization against profit
eering is being eagtrly watched by
the British public, which on the aver
age is paying approximately 100 per
cent more for the necessaries OF life
than in the days before the war. This
is the average, but when the prices
are taken in detail some of these
daily necessaries have mounted 900
per cent. With the recent increase in
the price of coal a further swing of
the pendulum toward excessive costs
is put in progress.
From all quarters of the country
today tens of thousands of persons are
going to various places TO enjoy the
bank holidays. 1t will probably be
the cOstliest holiday in the history of
the British people, for, to begin with,
all those who are travelling are paying
so per cent above the normal railway
fares and the prices at all resorts have
reached atroCious levels.
1t is when the morning after the
night before arrives and these hosts
of holiday makers return home that
the reaction will be all the more Sc
we're. At the present moment it seems
as if the matter of costs can go to the
winds so long as it is possible for the
people to enjoy the first real August
bank holiday in five Ytars.
The food controllers powers were
augmented last night so that he may
put into effect a complete system OF
VI hny II
and the appointment of a committee
to investigate profiteering are among
the first steps taken by the govern
ment to meet the urgencics Of the
menacing situation.
Another step is to try to effect a
better system of distribution of food
by the use of hundreds of army motor
lOrries. Because OF the strikes ana
lack of transportation the warehouses
in most of the great ports are bullying
with stocks of raw materials and even
with huge supplies of food. Labor
leaders point out that ever since 1914
a large consignment of lentils mas
been in one warehouse on the London
docks. There is a loud demand that
the government release its great
hoard of Australian wool so that
woollen goods will be cheaper.
Whatever success is attained in
America in the fight on the profiteers
will Immediately have an effect here,
where the governments dilatoriness
in handling the crucial situation has
been stigmatized as fragrant. In re-
sponsive quarters It is held that on
Americas fight on the beef trust will
depend, to a large extent, whatever
effective measures of control over this
vast organization can be taken here
one of the big scandals of profit
eertng in Great Britain is the price of
fish. Reports show that in 1918 the
Scotch fishery interests nearly
doubled their profits on ordinary sup
plies. The quantity of fish landed
amounted to nearly 100000 hun
dredweight, which sold for $4,000
600, as against about $4,000. 600 for
a slightly smaller quantity of fish in
1917 In some places fish have been
permitted to rot rather than to put
them on the market, lest the price
be Cheapened.
Many farmers have been unable tc
dispose of large quantities of vege-
tables in some of Londons markets
because the retailers would not buy
these consignments for fear they
would have to reduce the eXorbintan
prices they demand.