The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1919-08-05
SHARP BREAK COMING IN HIGH
FOOD PRICES.

WASHINGTON. August 4.-With
President Wilson himself squarely
behind the campaign to bring down
the cost of the necessaries of life,
with Congress aroused to the neces-
sity of enacting legislation, with five
Cabinet members making co-Ordi-
mated effort to bring relief, and with
the War Department about ready to
distribute it's s12O,000,000 food sur
plus by parcels post, the ,elief that
there would be sharp break in
prices in the very near future, was
held in official circles to-day.
The distribution of the army food
was, however, but an emergency
measure. The s120,000,000 surplus
representing but little more than
81 worth of food for every man, wo-
man and child in the country-was
conceded to be but a drop in the
bucket. However, temporary relief
comes at time when means for eff
fecting permanent relief are being
mapped out by the various Govern
ment agencies, and may bridge the
gap. And in the meantime, it was
believed, in some quarters, an effort
MAY NC NY lOOu pun NCyOlo W
meet the Governments prices.
Another Special Cabinet meeting
is to be held early next week. The
session attended by At
torney General Palmer and Secre-
taries Glass, Houston, Redfield and
Wilson, together with Chairman
Glover of the Federal Trade Commits
sion, and Railway Director Hines -
was called at the direct instance of
President Wilson, it was learned au-
thoritatively to-day. THE trouble
lies deeper than the problem Of
wages versus food and fuel" said
Chairman Colver. ITO begin with,
there is such an imitation of money
that the dollar is cheap as compared
with bread and shoes. When money
is cheap, everything else, measured
by it, is dear. The high cost of liv-
ing is only another way of saying
the low price of money
Quite aside from these things
there is, no doubt, profteering on a
large and small scale. Everybody,
whether he has labor or commodities
to sell, is asking higher and higher
prices"
WASHINGTON, D. c., Aug. A.
With every postmaster and carrier
turnout the country acting as a
salesman, the war and postoffice de-
partments Thursday got under way
the governments plan to help the ma
ton drive from its doors the high
cost of living wolf thru the distri-
button at cost of approximately
$125, 100000 worth Of surplus army
foodstuffs.
Under arrangements for the sale
of the food, made at a conference of
Secretary Baker, Postmaster Gen.
eral Rurleson and Representative
Kelly, of Pennsylvania, author of
the recent House resolution direct
ing sale and distribution of the food
thru the parcel post, War DEPART
ment officials were preparing q price
list covering the entire available sur
plus. -.
While the distribution program
was being put into effect, President
Wilson had before him a statement
from the Brotherhood of Locomotive
Engineers which declared that "con-
scienceless profiteering by the great
interests who have secured control
of all the necessities of life" had
brought about such conditions that
the engineers felt that they must
demand increased wages unless living
expenses speedily were reduced.
At the Department of Justice in
vestigations into cause of increasing
living costs were under way with
particular attention being given to
the question of whether producers
or dealers had combined in viola
ton Of law to raise prices of necessi-
ties. = -S**1 Z. .lGll