The patriot., 1919-08-15
WOULD EXTEND
WAR CONTROL
OF ALL FOOD
That, and Provision Of Penalties
for. Profiteering, Advocated
by the President.
TO FORCE SALE OF SURPLUS
in Address to Congress the Chief Ex-
ecutive Makes Assertion That We
"Are Dealing With Very Criti-
cal and Difficult Matters"

Washington congress
and proposing remedies to check the
high cost of living, President Wilson
declared existing laws were made
quate and high prices were not justi-
fed by shortage Of supplies, present
or prospective, but were created in
many cases "artificlally and deliber-
ately' by vicious practices"
He spoke practically as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress
have sought this opportunity to ad-
dress you because II is clearly my duty
to call your attention to the present cost
Of living and to urge upon you with all
the persuasive force of which am capable
the legislative measures which would be
most effective In controlling 1t and bring
Ing It down.
The prices the people of this country are
paying for everything that IL is necessary
FOR them to use In order to live are not
justified by n shortage in supply. either
present or prospective, and are in many
cases artificially and deliberately created
by vicious practices, which ought imme-
diately to be checked by law.
Profiteers Lawbreakers.
Some of the methods by which these
prices are produced are already Illegal,
soEne OF them criminal, and those who
employ them will be energetically pro-
ceeded against. But others have not vet
been brought under the law, and should
be dealt with at once by legislation.
With the increase in the prices of the
necessaries OF life come demands for in
creases In wages-demands which are
justified IL there be no other means of
enabling men to live.
Upon the increase of wages there fol-
lows close an increase In the price of the
products whose producers have been ac-
corded the increase-pot q proportionate
increase. for the manufacturer does not
content himself with that, but an in
crease considerably greater than the
added wage cost and for which the added
wage cost Is oftentimes hardly more than
an excuse.
The iaborers who do not get an increase
In pay when they demand it are likely
10 strike, and the strike only makes mat
ters worse.
1t checks productions; IL 1t affects the
railways It prevents distribution and
strips the markets; so that there is pres
emily nothing to buy, and there is another
excessive addition to prices resulting from
the scarcity.
Conditions Not Natural"
These are facts and forces with which
we have become only too familiar; but
we are not justified because OF our faniI-
iarity with them or because of any hasty
and shallow conclusion that they are
natural and inevitable. in sitting inac-
lively by and letting them work their fa-
tai results IL there is anything that we
can do to check, correct or reverse them
We must. think. frankly admit that
there Is no complete immediate remedy
10 be had from legislation and executive
~ra&r w.
demand win not operate OF themselves
and no legislative or executive action can
force them into full and natural operation
until there is peace.
Must Know Terms Of Peace.
There can be no confidence in indus
try, no calcuiable basis for credits, no
confident buying of systematic selling.
no certain prospect of employment. no
normal restoration OF business, no
hopeful attempt at reconstruction or a
proper reassembling of the dislocated
elements OF enterprise until peace has
been established, and so far as may be-
guaranteed. Our national life has no
doubt been less radically disturbed and
dismembered than the national life OF
other peoples whom the war more df-
fectly affected. with all its terrible
rayaging and destructive force, but ii
has been nevertheless profoundly az
fected and dlsarranged, and our indus
tries, our credits, our productive ca
pacity, our economic processes are In
extricably interviewer with those Of
other nations and peoples-most inti- |
snafeiy Of all with the nations and peo-
Pies upon whom the chief burden and |
1onfusicn OF the war fell and who |
are now most dependent upon the CO. |
operative action OF the world,
Exports Greatest In History.
We are just now shipping more goods |
out of our ports to foreign markets than |
we ever shipped before-not foodstuffs i
merely. but stuffs and materials of every /
sort: but this Is no index OF what our |
foreign sales win continue to be or of |
The effect the volume OF our exports I
win have on supplies and prices. 1t is
impossible yet to predict how far or
how long foreign purchasers will be
able TO find the money or the credit to
pay for or sustain such purchases on
ssich scale. how soon or to what extent
Ipreign manufacturers can resume their
FORMER production, foreign farmers get
their accustomed crops Trom their own
uelds foreign mines resume their former
output. foreign merchants set up again !
their old machinery OF trade with the
Rnds Of the earth. All these things must
remain uncertain until peace is estab-
ished and the nations OF the world have
-Nxtt4st sNstA AttE tAACtttuAS ~ Wnict u0FK1HA
fe and industry are to be restored
All that we shah do in the mean
sams 10 restrain profiteering and put
he life Of cur people upon q tolerable
footing will be makeshift and provi-
.sonal There can be no settled condi-
ion here or elsewhere until the treaty
y peace Is out Of the way and the
york Of liquidating the war has be-
'ome the chief concern OF our govern
neatand 81 the other governments Of
ne World
Europe viii not, cannot reccup her