Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-07-22
The Great DeluSion
From the New York Evening Worl

Inc UreUt DetuSIOn
[F'rom the New York Evening World1
Why is it that during this So
called period of reconstruction
whenever the question has arisen
what was to be done with accumu-
lated food supplies, the big pro-
ducers and handlers of food have
Government?
Why are American consumers
continually discovering instances in
which the Federal power has been
made an instrument in raising rather
than reducing the high cost of
living?
Two months ago it was 100000
900 cans of beef and 50,000,000
pounds of bacon included in the sur
plus food stocks of the Army which
were to be sent out of the country
and sold abroad in order that the
packers might be protected from the
consequences of marketing these
foodstuffs in the United States. A
few weeks later came the testimony
of the Director of Sales of the War
Department that the Department
had spelling on its hands 100000
ham and s100,000,OQ0 worth of
canned vegetables. Last week Gen.
March, Chief of Staff, told the House
committee investigating war eX-
penditures that the War Department
has been carrying ever since last
February millions of dollars worth
of surplus food which it could have
put on the market for the benefit
of the public, that great quantities
of Quartermaster's stores of ham and
bacon have been allowed to spoil in
Army storehouses, and that the De-
partment has now on hand $121, ,000,-
900 worth of food which it does
not need.
This week the public learns that
the greater part of 100000 pounds
of roasting chickens which the Gov
ernment has been holding since last
April-when the purchase brought
great relief to overstocked poultry
speculators-is to be sold. The Gov
ernment never bought roasting
chickens for the Army during the
war. Why did it buy this lot at
date long after the armistice unless
again as a favor to the big poultry
handlers whose chief concern was to
keep a too plentiful supply from
depressing market prices?
1t all comes back to the dominat-
ing economic fact Of these postwar
days:
Nobody-farmer, packer specula-
tor, wholesaler, jobber or retailer
no matter how much he may have
profted by warts now ready to
take a loss. On the contrary, those
who were most favored by war are
now the hardest fighters for retain
ing every possible inch of the gain
war brought them. And so far they
and their Notwithstanding
theory of reconstruction have had
the first attention and support of the
Government.
Labor itself let us hasten to say
those classes of labor to which
war was one glorious boost after an
other-is the strongest adherent OF
the hold-on- to-i all land demand
more policy of peace. These fav
ored classes of labor now refrain
from clamoring too loudly against
present prices until they have got
all they can for themselves. But
they are always ready to use high
prices as a stock argument for
higher wages.
Where is it all to end? It takes
only a little while for rise in wages
to produce a further rise in prices.
Wnlcn IN TURN btCOIllto BlCh loi
still higher wages.
Is reconstruction to be merely an
insenate process in which wages and
prices shove each other upward in
alternate boosts. with favored work
ers holding their own while the less
favored slip down to lower and low
er living standards?
Are we to pretend that this is
sound, lasting, well-distributed pros
perity?
And Is the Government to go for
ward with an encouraging hand on
the shoulder of those whom war has
pushed to the front of the process
sion, while those forced to the rear
stumble along as best thev may?
The idea that everybody can be
great better off materially be-
cause OF the war. beginning with
those who profited most by it. Is a
foolish and dangerous one. IT is
becoming the great national delu-
sion.
Nothing does more to strengthen
that delusion than the spectacle of
the Government diligently further
ing the schemes of those whose chief
concern is to keep up food prices.