The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-08-12
WILSON PROPOSES
TO LOWER. g..
High Prices Not Justified by Shortage
of Supply-Strikes Would Only
Make Matters Worse, Says
Strikers Ad-
vised to Return to-
Work.

ais before, congress today for check
iug the nigh cost of living, but at the
same time declared permanent re-
suits could not be expected until
peace times could be fully establish
ed after the ratification of the peace
treaty. High prices, the President
told Congress-, were not justified by
shortage of supply, either present or
prospective, but were created in
many cases "artifcially ad deliberate
ly" by vicious practices. "Retial-
. ers", he said, "were responsible for
extortionate prices"
Strikes, the president warned the
labor world, would only make matters
worse and those who thought to i'm
ply threats of coercion were only
preparing their own destruction.,,
Leaders of organized labor, the pres
ident said, he was sure would soon
yield to sound and sober thought. !
illegal and criminal were the
words the President used in charac-
terizing the methods by which some
present-day prices have been brought
about.
Present laws, he said, would be en-
ergetically employed to the limit to
force out food boards and meet the
situation as far as possible, but to
supplement the existing statutes he
specifically urged the following:
Licensing of all corporations en-
gagged in inter state commerce, with
specific regulations designed to Sc
cure competitive selling and prevent
"unsonscionable profits" in the meth
cd of marketing.
Extension. of the food control act
to peace times. and the application of
its provisions against boarding of fuel,
clothing and other necessities Of life
as well as food.
A penalty in the food cointr.' &c;
for profteering:
Pro6teering.
A Law regulating cold storage, linn
iting the time during which goods
may be held; prescribing a method
Of disposing of them if held beyond
the permitted period and requiring
that when released, good bea: the
date Of storage.
Laws requiring the goods re.aasea
from storage for interstate t..:.
merce bear the selling price at which
they went into storage and require
that all goods destined for interstate
commerce carry the prices at which
they left the hands Of the producer.
Enactment of the pending bill for
the control of security issues.
Additional appropriations for gov
: ernment agencies which can supply
the public with full information AS
as. to prices at which retailers buy.
Early Ratification.
Early ratification of the peace
treaty go that the "free possesses OF
supply and demand" can operate.
Immediate steps by executive ager-
cies Of the government promised by
the President included.
Limiting and controlling wheat
shipments and credit to facilitate the
purchase of wheat shipments and cre-
dts to facilitate the purchase OF
wheat in such way as not to raise,
but rather lower, the price of flour
at home.
Sale of surplus stocks of food and
clothing in the hands of the govern
ment.
Time forced withdrawal from stor-
age and sale of surplus stocks in pri-
vate hands.
General Recommendations.
Increase of production.
Careful buying by housewives.
Fair dealing with the people on The
part of the producers, middlemer ard
merchants,
That there be no threats. and undue
insistence upon the interests OF a