Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-05
PACKER HEARING TO
BEGIN AUGUST IS
Senate Agricultural Commit
| tee to Take Up Kenyon and
| kendrick Bills.
H. c. I. REMEDIES GIVEN

The problems involved in the pres
emit high cost OF living were tackled
by the Senate agriculture committee
today Of an open meeting. /:
The net result Of the. conferences vas
the determination 10 begin hearings
August 1s ON the kenyon and Ken-
driek biffs to give the goverK1kz
power to regulate and control the
meat packers. Senator Kendrick, Who
Is most anxious to he present when
confederation Of these meaeureSs de
begun, b expected to return to wash
inGton by that time.
mittee expressed their views - 70
the reasons for the high cost Of 1iv.
ing and several remedies were rug
gested. * ~.
Chairman Gronna declared that he
believed that-tfe high cost Of living
and decreased production ~.
I'VE have got to handlesthis situa-
tion with hard. not soft, gloves.s he
said.
Demanding Double Pay,
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia
suggested that the trouble lay In the
fact that labor Of various kinds Is de-
handing double pay for one.ha1f the
work 1t gave in the past. He said
that he believed that it was necessary
longer hours and to stop making ever
increasing demands for pay. In this
way. he said, production could be
brought up to meet consumption more
nearly and prices will fall.
Senator johnson of South Dakota
urged that something be done by the
committee and by Congress without
delay to meet the situation. which. he
said, was breeding revolution. He
sug gested that the government by
law regulate and limit the percen-
tage Of profits that producers and
shall make during the next year He
said drastic action must be taken.
I'VE say to the bankers how much
interest they shall charge on money
and limit their profits" said Senator
johnson. my idea la that we should
chants and producers while 1t ID nee
essary to meet the present serious
senator France of Maryland said he
believed the situation was due to
MISREPRESENTATION Of necessities, over
fribution Of necessities" The last. he
said was due largely to the null
Implicitly OF distributing agencies.
Senator Smith. Of Georgia said that
would result in q terrible panic. sena.
tor France replied that he did not
have such plan In mind, but that
IL production were increased 1t would
have the effect of making the proper
ton Of the currency less overwheim-
ing.
Obtaining 100 Per Cent Increase.
The investigation which is being
conducted by the Senate District
committee into prohteering IN tooos
| in the District Of Columbia was de-
! Capper of Kansas He said that the
| District committee had pretty well
| established the fact that meat deal
! ers here are obtaining loo per cent
increase in the prices charged tine
| for the meats they sell.
! senator Hoke Smith insisted thai
prices for all foodstufes in Washing.
| ton are at least 25 per cent higher
than they are in Atlanta, Ga.
The committee TOOK up and referree
to a subcommittee joint resolution
| offered by Senator Wadsworth of New
York providing for the establishment
| OF q federal Commission to consider
plans for rural and urban home build
Ing and settlement. Senator Wac3
worth said he was convinced tina
! something must be done to get thu
people back to the land. and that h
thought the only sensible way was t,
have the government study the situai
| ton and give advice 70 returning sol
diers and to the public generally
along these lines.
He said that he believed 1t woult
be far wiser to show these men how
to obtain lands already cleared thar
| to follow the plan OF Secretary Lane
by which $500,000.0O0 would be ap
propriated to put these men on SWAMI
and cut-over lands.