The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-21
PROBLEM Of PRICES.
|ANO PROF|TEER|NG.
IS BIGGEST ISSUE.
Unrest Increasing Be-
cause Of Soaring Cost
of Living.
POOR SUFFERING
Conditions Fast Becorn.
ing Intolerable Pack-
ers' Monopoly Affects
South.
POOR SUFFERING
ny JUSTIN MccRATH.,


Washington. July 20.--Despite the In.
tensity Of public interest in the league
Of nations night and In the state OF
growing anarchy In Mexico. which
seems to call more and more for Ameri-
can Intervention. there are some states
men in Washington who hold tho
opinion that the increasing cost OF liv-
serious issue which the country has
to face.
Correspondence OF senators and con-
gressmen reveals that unrest 10 In
cEeasing in all parts Of the country
because of soaring prices. The Ma
t.cnAl Consumers league. representing
thousands Of housewives throughout
the United States. ts petitioninK con-
gress for definite action to meet the
Il tolerable conditions Passage OF the
Kenyon-Anderson bill to regulate the
packing industry has been suggested
as one means Of coping with the prob
lem.
The 1908 members of the Southern
Wholesale Grocers' association. Preat-
dent ]. H. McLAren. of Jacksonville,
F'a., announced yesterday will tmme-
dIately proceed against the administers.
ton Of walker D. Hines. as federal
director-general Of railroads. charging
discrimination which. they claim. Is
enabling the big nve' packers to se-
cnre a monopoly on the distribution
ct food products In the South.
Poor suffer.
The Wholesale grocers allege that
As . result OF the packers monopoly.
the cost Of living in the South 10 being
advanced to point which means &C.
teal suffering to the poorer classes.
The same complaint against the
packers is being made In Wnshtnetsn.
To relieve the situation 1t the Ae4{onA
capital. several carloads Of food bro
diets purchased from the army are
being brought In here and retailed 1t
the public market under thu ~dirsctIon
Of district officials.
Senator Arthur CAppsr. Of Kansas.
II one Of the statesmen who sees sert-
Gus menace to peace and order In the
evcr-increasing prices OF the necessities
Of life
Senator capper In discussing this
question said
'-Two-thirds OF my daily mail has to
dn with the subject Of proflteering. The
problem Of prices and proflteerinE 10
the big issue--the biggest issue-he
fore congress. II must be grappled
wsth because II cannot be evaded nor
neglected. More than $4,000 stunted
babies have recently been found In
Boston These babies are shorter in
stature and lighter In weight than
they ought to be by three years
growth. All the starved children are
rot in Europe it seems
WasAingtoa vlctimiseA.
Washington. undoubtedly. 10 vic
ttmixed by protiteers to an extent not
equAlled In any other city. have
Joined other senators Of the District
OF Columbia committee In looking into
the evil here and seeking q remedy.
You and the poorer people here are
having q hard struggle to exist.
we are told the war price OF shoes
IL soon to advance IS to so cents per
pair. Underwear Il TO be marked up
IS to IS per cent Hand-me down
suita OF clothes are to sell from $50 to
SIS. Coal 10 TO be higher than ever.
when the visitor to an engine room
sees the indicator on . steam gauge
on boiler slowly pass the danger
point and keep going up. II makes him
think OF hunting . place OF safety and
a parting for It pretty quick. But
iY1Agine what would be the feelings Of
. man who had TO remain In tho boiler
room. while tho husky ~ well as the
c&reless fireman still kept shoveling
coal into the already roaring frehox.
Some kind of hust-up II going to
come II ws let reckless prohteers do
the firing. Many of our best and big
gest business men appreciate this dan
ger and point It out. When Il became
necessary ths banks should BE- made
snfe. thu government provided bank In
spectors and banking laws. Business
and Industry must be made safe for
all our sakes ~ we'll ~ for their own.
They must serve. not extort"