The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-02-25
MAY FIX PRICE OF
NEARLY EVERYTHING
PLAN is ON FOOT IN ADMINS
TRATION CIRCLES. OPPONENTS
ORGANIZING FOR CONTEST.

ATLANTA, Ga.-That the south is
again menaced by threat of price
fixing which is to include cotton price
fixing is clearly indicated by develop
ments coming to light in Washing
ton.
1t seems that Lem B. Jackson. d.
rector of the state market bureaus
of the department of agriculture, is
entitled to the credit for discovering
that Mr.. Redtield, secretary of COM
merce, had evolved a plan whereby
the prices of raw materials were to
be Stabilized" by "peace industries
board;" and when Director jackson
got through sounding the alarm in
the national capitol there were few
parties at interest who we're not up
In arms to prevent the adoption of
the Redfield plan,
Two Contentious.
A prominent Atlanta lawyer Just
returned from Washington-Ch Charles
E. COtterill, by name, who went
there to represent the Southern
Traffic League and the Southern
Wholesale Grocers Association be-
fore the interstate commerce commit
tee of the senate-says the real con-
troversy in Washington is not alone
whether the government shall extend
the period of control and operation
of railroads for three or five years,
but whether the government shall re-
move its hands entirely from all de-
partments of commerce and indus
try and transportation.
There is one group, states Attorney
Cotterill, who favors a continuance
of price-fxing on the ground that it
is necessary to stabilize industry and
business and protect the small con-
Germs from the big concerns; while
the opposite group are in favor of
immediate removal of the artificial
regulations and restrictions establish
ed by the government to prosecute
the war
Favored by Wilson.
Acting speedily upon the alarm
sounded by Director Lem B. Jackson,
who was then in Washington to
attend national convention of the
farm bodies of the country, southern
senators and senators from other ag-
ricultural states, including SENATOR
SAAiiCii5 VI OSOiS ldy az OllCG ulSpdlEu-
ed cablegram to President Wilson
requesting him to withhold approval
of the Redfeld plan of price-fxing
on raw materials, and informing the
president that they desired to be
heard on this proposition before it
was Endorsed as an administration
measure. The president, however,
sent a telegram giving the Redfeld
proposition for ''stabilizing" prices
his endorsement.
Must Be Alert.
Undoubtedly it behooves the south
ern cotton producers and their friends
in all lines of business to be on the
alert against renewed attempts to fix
the price of cotton. They have learn
ed by sad experience that "stabiliza-
ton" of the price of cotton means
reduction of the price of cotton. 1t
was officially announced the first of
last September that the governments
intention was not to fix the price of
cotton, so much as to Stabilize the
price. Everyone remembers what
happened. The market Immediately
took plunge from which it has not
recovered since.
Undoubtedly it would be of inter
est to the manufacturing industries
of the country to have the govern
ment step in and fix the price at
which the producers and owners of
raw material-such as cotton, for
eXample-Should sell their products.