The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1919-04-18
DUR WASHING TON LETTER

~ schedule Would Be Ruinous to
@%osernment Operations - Recalls |
3sl Price Standardization on Ju-
cary Committee to Fight Radi-
"a Is-Washington Society Mourns
sss of Cars Minister-New At
rney General May Change Poll
ia s-Baer to Introduce Bill to
II I'D Soldiers Out of Bread Lines.
eshington, D. C.-There is some
,>|. absurdly like the performance
"a Peabody coal committee of the
s. council of national defense in
q mites of the Peek price-fixing
2%S which has been created by
fetary of Commerce Redfeld, and
l.h has been knocked fiat by Sec
81 ID of the Treasury Glass, by Di-
...S34or Hines of the railroad admin
afIon and by Secretary of the
Daniels.
Is Peabody coal committee was
3@% ned by the council of defense,
.s& specially congratulated by Sec
''z&slsv of the Interior Lane, two
',s'srs ago, when it organized the coal
{, <lzsates, and fixed a scale of prices
s. z5ch the patriotic coal companies
zs& do business with the govern
,s4aI and the common people. +. S.
SsSEody of Chicago, a millionaire
as|axaor, was its chairman and chief
,.rzassster. He was given vast amounts
hess space. The United States
cSznslber of Commerce made him a
len one calm evening in early
<ssrs.rneer there came from the secre-
farv of tShe navy and the secretary OF
xxsr col pcerted bombardment Of that
coal comm pittee which left nothing OF
IL but a shulphurous odor. The new
.thedule off prices was shown by Sec
yetary BakAer and Secretary Daniels
Il have beAen framed to give huge
pr9fts to t me companies upon even
fhe biggesst wholesale deliveries,
while upon small lots the percentage
II "velvet" was simply scandalous.
mis- incident closed Peabody's "ser-
ices" and President Wilson called
mon Doctor and Harry Garfield to
srpanize thei fuel administration.
HANDSOME STEEL PRICES
Redfeld, Instead Of Lane, is the Of.
Aeial SPONSOR Of this Peek enter
Prise. Steel iprices were fixed at a
handsome figure, as viewed by the
steel manufactures, but at a figure
which the railroad administration
and the navyJ and the treasury. knew
Ao be ruinoust for government opera
lions. AS the railroad administra'
ton is to take about one-third OF the
total steel output of the country, the
steel companies, have been crying
bucketfuls of tears at Mr.. Hines
refusal to play Nheir game. Red
fields sidewhiskeAs are fiery with
anger. Hines and GLASS and Daniel:
refuse to buy steels unless the Peel
prices are lowered.
Peek is a friend OF the farmer, |
you can believe his press agent. H'
was a department manager for thu
81 Deere agricultural implement con
Germ at Moline, Ill. The price of ev
cry agricultural implement is de
Ne termined chiefly by the cast Of steel
al If Peek boosts the price of steel
# well, you can figure it out.
TO RETAIN CONSCRlPTS
At the very top of the military or
ganization of the United States i
General March, chief of staff. Marc
is a full general, with four stars
Just about the time the Europea
war began he was a heutenan
colonel. His rise has been rapi
enough to make the Leonard Woo
promotion look like the proverbial 3
cents. And March lives up to III
rank by being 100 per cent military
The firm hand of military power
stamped all over him.
S# March announced the other da
that "a per cent of the American al
my that existed on November IL la:
has been demobilized. He furthe
announced that in the past mont
MI the recruits secured for the reguls
2 army, for service abroad and on tt
Mexican border, numbered a few o,
er 1000. He hopes to get $4,000
|SN two months to relieve drafted me
SNN now in Germany.
&N care you going to get enough me
for the army of half a. million men
q he was asked.
"We've got them," March reptile
with a significant smile. Apparen
ly he meant to convey the idea TIL
several hundred thousand of Il
drafted soldiers will be held in Sc
vice until volunteers are secured
take their places, or until congre
meets his wishes with regard to III
versal military service.
& PREFERS HUNTING RADICAL
Senator Nelson of Minnesot
whose faulty memory was one OF t
diverting features of recent pub
hearings before the Overman su
committee of the senate Judlcla
committee, has decided that he W
be chairman of the judiciary COZ
mittee for the coming two yea
& Accordingly, he has surrendered
priority claim to the chairmansh
OF the committee on CONNER
which will deal with the question
future government ownership a
operation of the merchant marn
Senator Jones of Washington is
be chairman of the committee
commerce.
The judiciary job is more taxi
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