The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1919-09-22
READY For The ATTACK.

President Wilson has announced the names of %
prominent citizens whom he has appointed to represent
the public at the labor conference to be held in Wash
ington or October g. to formulate plans "for the de-
velopment of new relationship between capital and
labor"
Attorney General Palmer states that evidence will be
laid before grand jury this week which will sustain in
dctments of the Big Five packers for violations of the
federal statutes The story will America he says
and the prosecutions he believes will result in lower
prices for some of the necessares of life
subcommittee of the house committee agrcu-
has tentatively agreed upon the principal provisions
of bill regulating the cold storage of food products
in accordance with the suggestions of the presideIt in
his recent message. Foo thus stored must be plainly
marked with the date of storage and reports must be
made at least quarterly to the secretary of agriculture
on the contents of all warehouses;
These various steps, all of them of Importance and
each containing of hope for relief, ndi
cate that the officials of the alive to the
situation and endeavorng to take such action will
prove of practical benefit to the people Movements of
this sort, backed they by the unanimous public
sentiment of the nation must exert influence toward
tightening the burdens of the people.
Perhaps first in Importance comes the labor conference
of October 9Th Its prime object is to effect mutual
understanding among employers and employees through
which strikes will be abated and production uninterrupted
while industry going through the process of readust-
ment This is necessary to peaceful and orderly sou-
ton of the great problems facing the nation Wage
Cd tbo GhoA4
of living has scared high and workingmen and people
of moderate unable make their incomes
the necessaries and comforts of life.
But it is admitted that wage increases only tenn
porary remedies that with each successive advance in
earnings greater advance in living costs
which absorb the increase and leaves the worker in no
better position than before. And it is generally con-
coded that the only permanent and effective relief lies
in reduction of the cost of the necessaries of life.
Therefore it is apparent that the government agencies
are working along correct lines They striving for
practical results They change economic condi-
tons which known to be partially responsible for high
prices but they restrain profteerng prevent price
combinations, place ban upon boarding and in other
ways discourage iegmate activities which have ten
dency to increase the cost of living
The laws upon the statute books aimed at COM
binaton in restraint of trade be invoked and this
the attorney general is doing in the packers case New
laws be enacted to protect the public interest and
to prevent mercenaricS from maintaining high prices
through the boarding of food supplies in cold storage
warehouses and thus manipulating the market to their
own pecuniary advantage. And this congress is now
engaged in doing.
With these activities in progress with all the tremen-
dous forces of the massed in and
dgent effort to remedy conditions and ease the burdens
under which the people struggling is 1t not incum-
bent upon both capital and labor to proceed slowly and
moderately with the adjustment of their relations?
Are they, under these circumstances, warranted in
punging headong into industrial strife which will not
only involve themselves and their interests but also will
seriously affect the whole industrial situation and entail
hardshps upon millions who not directly concerned
in their disputes?
The latest reports are the effect that the strike of
steel workers. set for today has not been called off and
that the purpose of the workers is to stop work regardless
of the conference October 9Th 1t to be hoped that
the will their mistake in time and decide to post
pone action other labor unions have DONE the hope
that some solution may out of the conference Moth
ing can be gained by precipatng strike in the steel
industry at this time, and much may be lost
The test of American stability and good sense has
been reached 1t is incumbent upon all people to lend
their influence toward passing through this test with
honor and credit to the nation. The American army
stood their test noby in the greatest military crisis of
the worlds history the American people stand it in
the industrial crisis impending? -Washington Post
You can't blame senators for taking an hour off to
look at the Peshng parade after WEEKS spent in trying
to figure out the treaty.