The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-08-12

livelihood that l have come to urge,
in this attempt to concert with you
the best ways to serve the country IN
this emergency. 1t is one of the ab-
solutely necessary means, underlying
manv others, and can be supplied at
once.
Extend Food Control.
Let me urge, in the first place, that
the present food control shall remain
in operation both as to the period OF
time during which it shall remain in
operation and as to the commodities
to which it shall apply. Its provisions
against boarding should be made to
apply not only to food but also to
foodstuffs, to fuel, to clothing, and
to many other commodities which are
indisputably necessaries of life. AS
it stands now it is limited in opera
ton to the period of the war and be-
comes imperative upon the formal
proclamation of peace. But / should
Judge that it was clearly within the
constitutional power of the congress
to make similar permanent provisions
and regulation with regard to all
goods destined for interstate COM
merce and to exclude them from IN
terstate shipment if the requirements
of the law are not complied with.
Some such regulations is Imperative
ly necessary. The abuses that have
grown up in the manipulation OF
prices by the withholding of food
stuffs and other necessaries of life
can not otherwise be effectively pre-
vented. There can be no doubt Of
either the necessity or the legitimacy
of such measures. May / not call at
tention to the fact, also that, al
though the present act prohibits
profiteering the prohibition is ac-
companied by no penalty? 1t is clear
ly in the public interest that a pen
atty should be provided which will be
persuasive.
To the same end, I earnestly rec
ommend, in the second place, that the
congress pass a law regulating cold
storage as it is regulated, for ex-
ample, by the laws Of the State of
New Jersey, which limit the time dur
ing which goods may be kept in stor-
age, prescribe the method of dispos-
ing of them if kept beyond the per-
mitted period, and require that goods
released from a storage shall in all
cases bear the date of their receipt.
It would materially add to the serv-
iceability Of the law, for the purpose
we now have in view, if it were also
prescribed that all goods released
from storage for interstate shipment
should have plainly marked upon
each package the selling or market
price at which they went into stor-
age. By this means the purchaser
would always be able to learn what
profits stood between him and the
producer or the wholesaler.
Chance for Direction.
1t would serve as useful example
to the other communities of the coun-
try, as well as greatly relieve local
distress if the congress were to reg
ulate all such matters very fully Tor
the District of Columbia where it's
legislative authority is without limit.
would also recommend that it be
required that all goods destined for
interstate commerce should in every
case where their form or package
makes it possible be plainly marked
with the price at which they left the
hands of the producers. Such a re-
quirement would bear close analogy
to certain provisions of the pure food
act by which it is required that GER
tain detailed information be given on
the labels of packages Of foods and
drugs. =
And it does seem to me that we can
confine ourselves to detailed meas
ures of this kind, if it is indeed our
purpose to assume national control of
the process of distribution. I take it
for granted that is our purpose and
our duty. Nothing less will suffice.
We need not hesitate to handle ma
tional question in a national way. We
should formulate a law requiring a
federal license of all corporations en-
gagged in interstate commerce and
embodying in the license or in the
conditions under which it is to be is
sued, specific regulations designed to
secure competitive selling and pre-
vent unconsionable profits in the