Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-09
PRESIDENT ASKS CONGRESS FOR ADDITIONAL
POWERS TO COMBAT THE HIGH COST OF LIVING

Ou1 Will uS tHCSc dE0 "a euS
surface. Every one who is in real
touch with the silent masses Of oul
great people knows that the ole
strong fiber and steady self-control
are still there. firm against violence
or any distempered action that would
| throw their affairs into confusion
I am serenely confident that they will
readily find themselves. no matte.
what the circumstances. and that
they will address themselves to the
tasks Of peace with the same devo-
ton and the same stalwart preference
for what is right that they displayed
to tie admiration of the whole world
in the midst of war.
And I entertain another confident
hope. I have spoken today chiefly OF
measures of imperative regulation and
legal compulsion, of prosecutions and
the sharp correction Of selfish
necessary. But there are other forces
that we may count on besides those
resident in the Department Of Justice
We have just Eully awakened to what
has been going on and to the tnf1u-
ences. many Of them very selfish and
prices and impoeing an intolerable
burden on the mass Of our people
To have brought it all into the open
will accomplish the greater part of the
result we seek.
I appeal with er,tire confidence to
our merchants to deal fairly with the
people. 1t is their opportunity to
show that they comprehend. that they
intend to act Justly, and, that they
have the public interest sincerely al
heart. And I have no doubt that
and every one who buys the things he
daily stands in need of will presently
exercise a greater vigilance. q more
thoughtful economy, more dtscrim
he buys or the merchant with whom
he trades than he has hitherto exer-
cised.
Act Like True Americans.
believe. too, that the more ex-
treme leaders Of organized labor will
ans s'a like to the great
Of their associates. think and act like
true Americans. They will see that
strikes undertaken at this critical
time are certain to make matters
for everybody else. The worst thing,
the most fatal. thing that can be
done now is to stop or interrupt pro-
duction or to interfere with the dis
tributfon Of goods by the railways
are ali involved in the distressing re-
suits Of the high cost Of living. and
we must unite, not divide, to correct
it.
There are many things that ought
to be corrected in the relations be-
tween capital and labor. in respect
of wages and conditions Of labor and
other things even more far-reaching.
and I, for one. am ready to go into
conference about these matters with
any group OF my fellow countrymen
who know what they are talking
about and are willing to remedy ex-
listing conditions by frank counsel
rather than by violent contest. No
remedy 10 possible while men are in
Element which does not have as it's
motive and standard the general in
terest. Threats and undue insistence
upon the interest Of q single class
make settlement impossible.
believe, as have hitherto had &C.
cassion to say to the Congress-. that
the industry and life of our people
able damage II employers and work.
men are to go on in a perpetual con-
test, as antagonists. They must, on
one plan or another. be effectively as
ISOLATED. Have we not steadiness and
and business sense
enough to work out that result? I'm
doubleday we have. and we shall work
1t out. In the meantime-now and
in the days Of readjustment and re-
cuperation that are ahead OF us-let
us resort more and more to frank
and intimate counsel and make our
selves q great and triumphant by
making o9rt ,sn or,d united Tore I'm IN
thsn have looked to us for leadership
in vain.