The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-08-06
Government Will Dispose Of All
Surplus Stock in Warehouses s
to People at Cost
SALES TO BE MADE
THROUGH PARCEL POST
Great Variety Of Provisions Will
Be Sold in That Manner at
Reasonable Prices &

of growing unrest over the high cost
Of living, as indicated by the spread
ing strike OF railroad workers, many
government agencies moved today in S.
efforts to effect a return to. normal e
price levels. ~.
Immediate sale Of all surplus food
stuffs purchased for the army, instead (
of only canned goods. was ordered by
the war department Millions of
pounds of meat, beans, pumpk kins
squash and other commodities viii be.
offered to the public Monday, August
18, through the parcel post system al
prices materially lower than those :
now prevailing in the market. Pur-S
chasers will have to pay postage
charges from the place Of storage:
Director General Hines, Commis-s1
sioner Colver and Assistant Secretary
(! Leffingwell, appointed by the confer
ence assembled by Attorney Generai
Palmer to recommend steps to reduce
living costs, We're engaged today. iEts
an exchange of memorandums bearing
on the problem. The report went Cut
that the committee had agreed thai
steps should be taken by congress-
which would alleviate the situation at.
once, but ii was said at Mr.. Hines
Office that nothing final had been de-.
cided upon The committee was 1nzs
Istructad particularly. to deal = with:
I profteering and to. suggest how law
reinforcement agencies should proceed
TO bring to justice men guilty OF ex~
tortion through unreasonable prices:
1 : Ia f}oa n o,s$Y ont:
Twill be-tlae largest dtTect.saia to the
American people ever, attempted E The
-prices-&wefe- stated: It
lower than those prevailing insstf
commercial market and. the food was
described as being in, excellent con-
! dit;cn. The department said surplus
! property Offices at t4Boston, New York;
Baltimore, Newport News Atlanta:
Chicago, St Louis, New Orleans, Fort
Sam Houston, E1 Paso, Omaha and
San Francisco had been directed to-
make the sales. Presumably the reg
ular zone rates for parcel post will
apply from these cities in determin-
. ing the cost to- purchasers by the
parcel pest system.
If any recommendation is made to-
congress, it is believed most likely
i that it will deal with sale Of the
wheat crop at market prices and the
/ absorption by the government of the.
! loss between that price and the $2.26
guaranteed the farmer. Many off,
Gals have indicated that this is the
most practicable step which would be
taken and the one most likely to have.
| an immediate effect
Congress continued to discuss the
living question and at the White
House President Wilson was said. To
be receiving full reports on all phases
of it. The senate adopted resolu-
tion asking the banking COMMITTEES
whether reduction Of. the current in-Ss
fation would help the situation. Fms
/! the house an attempt to recess fer.
| two weeks was blocked by Represen-.s
tative Igoe. Democrat, Of Missouri.
because his resolution to have the
1 Federal Trade Commission investi-
! gate the price Of shoes was not act-
| ed upon The new demands of rail-
road employees for more wages to
meet the high cost of living drew fire
from Representative Blanton, Demo-
CIdl, VI 1SA<<S, WiiO Sd1O l11S d1iAoco
men were acting like "highwaymen"
in attempting to obtain another un-
fair billion dollar" raise.
Introduction in the house Of gov
ernment railroad bill, with the en-
ployees participating in the control
! and profits of the roads, was made
, the occasion Of statement by leaders
of the four brotherhoods that the high
cost of living demanded the opera
ton of the country's most important
industry "for service rather than for
profit
The statement declared that the
wage earners hoped to gain perma-s
nent victory in the economic strife un-
der present conditions because of the
constantly growing cycle of prices
based on wages and declared it was
not money, but value which really
counted. Any basic change, it Was
argued, must commence with the rail-
roads. the fundamental industry on
which all others are dependent.