The sun., 1919-05-12
POLITICS FIRST,
Is PERKS CHARGE
Continued from First Page.

sought In vain for a substantial reason.
1t has urged the Railroad Administra-
uon' first to aid 1t by one single fact
OF argument. to arrive at a lower
price for steel, and second, to name a
price which tho Railroad Administration
Wouh consider fair. The first sugges-
ton has been met with a stubborn and
naughty silence. the second with a sug-
gestion OF absolutlsm: We will name
you the price only on condition that
you agree In advance to urge It on the
steel producers'-and this In the face OF
the unimpeached cost studies OF the
BOARD. Acceptance of such a sugges-
t'on would shame the manhood of the
board
The Railroad Administrations only
answer has been that the steel price
announced by the board Is too high
IL too high means that the Railroad
Administration can force lower prices.
by smashing industry, smashing labor,
smashing the public interest and throw
ing production into the hands Of the
most powerful and lowest cost pro-
oucers the board agrees that the price
Is too high But 1t was precisely these
results the board was set up to prevent,
ana the case stands proved that lower
prices without these results are impos-
sibie. Still the Railroad Administration
PERSISTS ana announces specifically that
us only view of n low price is one that
snail by inherent attractiveness induce
buying not by the Railroad Administra-
ton alone, but also by the old railroad
CORPORATIONS who are so ably repre-
sented in tho administration by the Di-
rector General himself and by Messrs.
LoVett and Walters, who have headed
the opposition to the board.
The Public BE Damned.
That the Administration would COM
NIT itself against the public interest
merely to- support the ancient and dis
credited railroad slogan the public be
damned Is unthinkable. Yet after all
It Is the Administration. not the Direc-
tor-General alone, who had power to
thwart the board.
Thus there is no question that the
board was set up to do exactly what
1t has done and was set I'D with the
null knowledge and assent Of the Ad-
mfnistration. and was given godspeed
on Its way by Mr.. Glass. rne record
on this point Is so clear that only a
clubbing lawyer with an imagination
infiamed with interest could find an ex-
cuse to pervert II. Yet exactly this
course mas been pursued, and not by
the Director-General alone. II serves
no purpose save to confuse the issue.
Thus also the irrelevant opinion of
the Attorney-General is dragged in.
Persistently the activities Of the board
are referred to as price fixing and
agreement on prices with the steel pro-
ducers.' Price fixing has never been
attempted by the board. In cooperation
with industry II has studied costs,
added reasonable profits and promul-
gated the result. No one was under
the slightest obligation to demand or
to accede to these prices. Nor was any
agreement by the steel producers to sell
at these prices ever sought. Distortion
OF this course of conduct to make II
appear a combination in restraint OF
trade is little short of absurd and is
only a further confusion Of the issue.
In n public statement May Secretary
Redfield said there has been no change
in the viewpoint. policy or attitude OF
the Industrial Board from the begin
ming. All statements and differences TO
the contrary have no substantial basis
in fact