Evening journal., 1919-12-13

WASHINGTON, Dec. i3.-The "specu-
latlon, spoliation and plunder" ram
pant in the United States were held
yesterday by Senator Arthur Capper,
Republican, OF Kansas, in an attack upon
profteerlng, TO be such as to make
train robbery or burglary poor trade
by comparison"
The Senator from Kansas, speaking
on the McNary sugar bill, suggested
limitation Of gross profits as a means
OF checking the steady rise in prices
for necessaries Of life, and he warned
that unless something IS done the
"high cost Of profits" soon viii be
translated into the excessive cost Of
living"
1.-THE profteers OF big business-and
this includes a lot Of coal operators
are as great or a greater menace 60 us
and our institutions" Senator Capper
said, than the BOlshevists, the ]. w
w. and the radicals, who are preach
ing the overthrow Of the government; /;
and. let me say, I will go to the limit
Of supporting every measure which
will stamp out Bolshevism or an
a-chy.
Because the operators wish TO pocket
their war profits while paying the min
ers wages lower in buying power than
they were receiving in 1913, the people,
10 keep warm, had to resort % fuel oil,
another natural resource provided by
the Almighty. And what happened?
Why, the usual thing. The price OF
fuel oil has been advanced 800 per cent.
in less than thirty days by bunch OF
oil proflteers, not because Of the in
crease cost Of prOductiOn-that already
had been we'll taken care Of-but simply
because the men in control Of this pro-
duct could be the money by exploiting
the peoples need.
while the people made sacrifices
and fought during the war, and are
still fighting and sacrificing, these in
dustries have paid no part in the cost
Of national defense. nor have they con-
tributed anything TO help the country
except at war prices and for tremen-
dous profits. And now they are collect
ing their war taxes from the people and
exacting excessive toll, besides, by
soaking them for all they can get for
their products.
According TO the papers today
Bradstreet's report shows that the cost
OF things to eat has increased another
~ per cent. in the last thirty days,
Notwithstanding the millions lost in
falling markets by middle'western pro-
ducers. When sugar is released from
federal control December 81, we may
certainly expect TO see that necessity
soar Nine months ago a dollar would
buy five pounds Of coffee, today it will
buy only two pounds. A nickel sack OF
tobacco now costs ten cents. In 10 the
smoker finds a little card which reads
Special notice: This package should be
sold for five cents. Your dealer makes
q fair margin OF profit at this price
Lumber sells at from $40 to SiO2 per
1000 feet. 1 have It from a lumber man
who has spent his life in the business
that this is At least 30 per cent. beyond
all reasonable profit. And so it goes,
and will continue to go, until we beg
gar the people, lower consumption, anC
Kill demand, unless we find and apply
the means to check the game Of grab
which is at the bottom Of most Of our
present troubles. Men working for
wages may be expected to keep asking
,or more.
II am inclined TO think that as an
emergency measure it might be we'll C
give the federal government power q
limit gross profits, as Canada has beer
doing so successfully, requiring every
dealer or manufacturer. from the tim,
the raw material leaves the hands oI
the producer until the product reaches
the consumer, TO mark the cost price
TO him on all his goods, also his owl
selling price, and be prepared to show
invoices. This will make it possible
quickly to spot the man who is doins
the proflteering
The NlcNary bill, under which gov.
ernment control OF sugar. would be con
tinued another year, was passed by tn,
Senate and sent to the House.
Purchase and sale hy the United
States sugar equalization board, bott
Of foreign and domestic sugar. is au.
thorized by the bin, which would EN-.
power, but not direct, the President Il
continue the board until December 81
1920, if found necessary for the pub
lie good and TO secure fair prices and
equal distribution.
The bill specifically provides. how.
ever, that producers, refiners and dis
tributors Of sugar shall not be licensed
as has been the practice under the
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