The sun., 1919-05-20
PLANS TO REGULATE
PRICES IN CANADA
Senator Robertson Says De-
mand Abroad Influences
Living Costs.


| OTTAWA. May 1s--widespread atten-
ton has been attracted by the address
made to the Senate q day or two ago by
the Hon Gideon D. Robertson. Minister
Of Labor. He made these blunt and I'M
compromising statements:
/. There Is a shortage OF food in
the world.
the demand abroad.
3. There is no surplus OF food sup
ply In Canada.
4. The duty Of Canada is food pro-
duction for tho benefit OF itself and
the world.
s. The Government may present a
programme to regulate the cost of
living.
s. Industrial unrest can be traced
to the cost Of living.
Proceeding the Hon. Mr. Robertson
| said that there appeared to be a great
| deal OF misunderstood in Canada, as
Indicated by press comments and resolu-
! tons calling for inquiry to reduce the
cost OF living and charging present high
prices Of food to boarding for profit. He
| said that the people of Canada should
know there Is no surplus OF food in
Canada. and that unless production is
increased there was little hope for much
| reduction OF food prices
As to food In cold storage n II were
at once released little would be done to
| relieve the situation. II all the butter
| in storage on May ! were divided II
would give each Canadian IL ounces; a
division OF oleomargarlne would give
| each Canadian a quarter Of an ounce a
division OF cheese would give each person
less than a quarter of a pound.
The quantity OF butter In cold storage
was S6s,243 pounds oleomargarine, 3D.
764; cheese, 1,064.3ls; eggs q little over
5000. 900, or a third OF a dozen for each
! person pork two and a half and beef
three and half pounds a person.
What portion has been sold for over
! seas consumption he could not say. He
gave the figures to show the incorrect
| ness OF the idea that the present high
price OF butter. for instance. was due to
| there being large quantities In storage,
held for the profit OF the owners.
This was the season OF egg production,
when usually they are collected for stor-
Ing but to-day egss were not forthcom-
| ing and therefore only small stocks are
| being laid away. Unless production in
| cree sed there was the prospect of an egg
famine within year.
In 1918 the Canadian production OF
butter was short OF Canadian REQUIRE
ments by 100000 pounds, and although
Canada exported 10000 900 pounds of
! butter there were imported and manu-
| featured 13.500.o00 pounds of oleomar
garne. With the army returning the re-
quirements Of Canada this year would
! be 100000 pounds OF butter greater
| than Canadian production. II any per-
| sons believed that the high price OF but
| ter was due to the quantities placed in
| Ra hA
| better for all concerned.
He made the statement for two rea-
| sons; frst, that II was proper the facts
| should be known : second, because II was
| the duty OF Canadians to realize the
| need for greater production from the
soil Canada was an agricultural coun-
try. with 81 per cent. OF the people In
| farming. Men lacking employment in
| their trades. the markets for which
products had disappeared. continued to
| live in cities n the hope that new mar
kets would DO created. that prices would
decrease and that they could continue
to work at their calIngs, 1t was but
| right that these men should be warned
that they should not Immediately ex-
pect the relief they were looking for.
The unrest in Canada was the natural
| consequence OF the fact that the pur-
chasing power of the average workman's
earnings to-day was less than half its
purchasing power four years ago. Light
had TO be turned on or conditions would
grow worse instead of better.
Mr. Robertson explained that the
figures OF the cost OF living obtained
by his department were carefully gath
cred weekly from sixty-four Canadian
centres, and had been checked up with
the hgures obtained by the Cost OF Liv-
ing Commissioner.
From 1900 to 1913. thirteen gears,
there had been a gradual rise OF IS
per cent. in the cost OF living I'm Canada.
In 1914 II was only / per cent higher
| than in 1913, but from 1914 TO the pres
ent time the cost OF living in Canada had
doubled. These were whosesale prices
Retail fSuresN gave more startling re-
suits, The purchasing power OF a dollar
was but half Its purchasing power four
years ago.
A brief interim report from Justice
| Mathers of the Royal Commission on
Industrial Relations indicated that the
declining purchasing power OF the dollar,
| the existing unemployment and the fear
| OF unemployment were the chief con-
trlbuting causes which had produced a
| situation which 10 regarded as serious
in a number OF parts OF Canada
Increase In the cost OF living was
not peculiar to Canada. In Britain in
March the cost was 100 per cent higher
than in 1914; in France the living cost
had increased two and half times; in
Denmark 90 per cent. and tho United
States over 100 per cent.
In Canada II the expectation OF butter
were forbidden the farmers would re-
duce it's production. People should
know that international conditions had
a great bearing on the cost Of living In
Canada
|, II had been assumed that the Govern
ment was doing nothing to provide. a
remedy. but serious consideration had
been given to the matter more than two