Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-11-21
TIME FOR REAL BUSINESS

Now that the United States senate, after wasting six
months of valuable time in talking, has finally rejected the
peace treaty and left US in a most embarrassing and precarious
situation, it would seem about time for congress to turn its at
tention a little to the serious economic situation that con-
fronts the nation.
There has been q great deal said about the various labor
unions going on strike to enforce hteir demands regardless of
the welfare of the country as a whole, but there is also another
side to the situation and ii is this side that congress can tackle
best of all.
This side is the profteer who is raising the prices Of
everything regardless of actual costs or values, taking all that
the traffic will bear. These profteers are TO be found in every
line. They are to be found among the producers of raw mate
rails, the manufacturers, the wholesalers, and even many re
tailers do not hesitate to soak" the customer when they think
the soaking is safe.
OF course, there are exceptions in all of these, but there
orc so many in all lines devoting their entire energies TO get
Ting theirs" at the present time that the country is on the
verge of disaster.
And the working man who is constantly demanding more
and more pay for less and less work is as bad a proffteer as any
of them. 1t is high time that congress turned its attention to
conditions as they exist in the country and try to do something
for the people.
In this connection it might be remarked that the first duty
of the government is to clean house itself. The government de-
partments are still crowded with another variety of proGteer
Inere are JuOuSanuS OI uleu SlI On Iue government pay VII
both in uniform and out, who have little more to do than to
draw their salaries. True, these men go about kicking up {.
much dust as they possibly can to make it appear that they are
earning something, but they are leeches on the government.
not only drawing fat salaries for doing nothing, but in their
effort to make an appearance of doing something, they spend
millions of dollars in a useless and extravagant manner.
Business is being taxed outrageously in order to keep
these parasites going. And as long as the people keep shovel
ing the money into Washington these extravaganoes will CON
tinue.
1t is about time to put an end to existing conditions and
1t is up to congress to lead the way.
want the profteer checked, and that means the labor
As a beginning, however, the government itself should clear out
The hundreds of prolteers on its own pay rolls. Government
expenses should be cut by millions of dollars and in the cutting
it is not necessary to curtal the essential features, either.
While this is being accomplished thereby reducing the
awful burden the people are now carrying, congress can also
turn to the other pro1teers in the private walks of life and put
them where they belong.
The war expenses have got to be paid, of course, but there
is no reason why such expenses should be continued now the
war is over.
Yes, congress has a great work to do and it ought to be
on the job. Enough time has been wasted. 1t is time to do
something constructive for the country. There has been
enough destruction, the latest accomplishment along that line
being the peace treaty.