The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1919-08-22
wilson ASKS
DRASTIC LAWS TO
CUT LIVING COST
Seven Suggestions Made by Pres.
ident for Legislation to Solve
High Prices Problem.
URGES THE PEACE TREATY.
Licensing of Corporations and Curb
on Security Issues Proposed-Ap-
peaIs to Producers, Middlemen,
and Retailers to Deal Fairly.

Washington.-Presi Wilson ap-
peared before Congress and outlined
plans for dealing with the problem
of the cost of living.
He told the legislators that the pres
ent high prices were not Justified by
any shortage of supplies, present or
prospective, but were in many cases
an artificial creation, many of the
retailers being to blame.
While declaring with emphasis that
it was idle to look for permanent re-
lief until peace was actually obtained
and guaranteed, he suggested the fol-
lowing legislation to supplement exist
ing statutes in curbing boarding and
profiteering:
1. Extension of the Food Control
act to peace time and widening of its
scope to cover all necessaries.
2. Licensing of all corporations en-
gagged in interstate commerce to IN
sure competitive selling and prevent
"unconscionable profits"
3. Passage of a law to regulate
cold storage, limiting the time OF
storage, and requiring goods to bear
the date Of receipt and the price at
the time they went into storage.
4. Provision for penalty for Vlo-
lation of the profiteering clauses OF
A.. Uoo1 Control oct
5, A law requiring that all goods
destined for interstate commerce De
marked where possible with the price
al which they left the producer.
6. Enactment of the proposed law
for the control Of security issues.
Z. Additional appropriations for
government agencies which will in
form the public of the prices at whlcn
retailers buy.
He informed Congress that the ad-
ministrative branch of the government
would take these steps to cope with
the situation:
l. Limit wheat shipments and cred
its TO lower the price of flour here.
2. Sell surplus stocks of food and
clothing now in the hands of the gov
eminent without profit.
8. Draw surplus stocks out OF stor-
age and put them upon the market by
legal action wherever necessary.
4. Prosecute combinations Of produc-
ers and traders formed for the con-
troll of supplies and prices.
5. Employ publicity, through the de-
partments of commerce, agriculture
and labor and the Federal Trade Com
mission, to acquaint the public with
supplies not available because of
boarding and methods of price fixing.
In his address the President de-
clared that the world faced supreme
crisis in which America must prove
her mettle and save Europe by her
action in peace just as she had saved
Europe by her action in arms.
"The world" said he, 'has just de-
stroyed the arbitrary force of mill
tary junta. 1t will live under no 9TH
err. All that is arbitrary and coercive
is in the discard. Those who seek to
employ it only prepare their own de-
struction-"
Almost in the next breath the Pres
ident declared his belief that "the
more extreme leaders of organized la
Dor will presently yield to a sober
second thought and, like the great
mass of their associates, think and
act like true Americans"
"They will see," the President went
on, "that strikes undertaken at this
critical time are certain to make mat
tiers worse, not better-worse for them
and everybody else"
While the President was frequently
applauded during his address, the loud
est demonstration followed this refer
ence to the threat Of railway strikes.
The President appealed to producers,
middlemen and merchants to deal fair
ly with the people and concluded with
a strong appeal to employees and
workmen to avoid temper and passion
and unite to deal soberly with a sit
uation wherein, as he had previously
pictured it, POLITICALLY, economically,
socially, the world is on the operating
| table,"