The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-08-01
THE PEOPLE VS.. PROFITEERs.
columbia Record.l

Ihe people of the United States
have every right to expect those to
whom they have delegated authority
as their representatives to find a
remedy for extortionate prices and to
force the cost of living down to what
! 1t should be. They have right and
they expect those in authority to put
an end to the profiteering that is re-
sponsible in great measure for the
unreasonable prices obtaining and the
dearness of practically all commodi-
| ties. 1t is no unreasonable thing that
the people are asking of congress
when they insist that the case of The
People versus The Profiteers be called
up for immediate consideration and
that intelligent and effective action
shall follow without delay. A gov
ernment that does not safeguard it's
people. from whom it derives it's pow
er and upon whom it depends for sup
port. from unbridled exploitation
from within as well as from menace
from without, is derelict in it's para
mount duty to its citizenship and will
be called to account sooner or later.
There are no more important ques-
tions before congress just now, there
can be no more important question
than that of food supply, control and
distribution. In France this same
question, as ii relates to the French
people, came dangerously near to
overthrowing the government through
the defeat of the cabinet the other
day-not because the French govern
ment had been neglectful of the mat
ter as ours has been, though the fail
ure of congress to take any action to
check profiteering in this country. for
the French government had framed
and put into operation the most
stringent laws directed at the prof.
teers. adopting the principle of i'm
prisonment for those who despoil the
public by charging excessive prices for
food, clothing and other necessities,
but because no practical results in re-
ducing prices had been ACCOMPLISHED.
got its vote of confidence, but it was
vote given upon the promise that re-
lief from the high cost of living would
he brought about with sufficient time
TO permit of the law becoming effec-
tive against those who are filing their
Golfers at the expense of the French
people.
In Belgium the cost Of living has
been reduced by one-half since the
end of the war, and in Great Britain
one-fourth. Through the simple eX-
pedient of clapping the profiteers in
jail a remedy has been found in ITALY
and the cost of living has gone down
so per cent Even in Germany the
drift is downward But prices con-
tinue TO soar in this country and to
mount higher and higher Predictions
for the coming fall and winter are for
$25 shoes and 40 to so per cent ad-
vance in the prices of clothing. And
the question whether the packers
shall control the nations food supply
sun remains unanswered.
The people of America as we'll as
the people of France have reason to
complain in the matter of prices. and
that some measure of relief may be
found for the extremely high cost of
living If congress will approach the
matter with the determination to get
at hn Of it
tion, cannot be doubted. In France.
Clemenceau has promised to take the
matter in hand and endeavor to find q
solution. Here, as there. IL is un-
doubtedly difficult problem and one
that requires the careful thought of
statesmen and economists of great
ability and judgment. But the French
insist, as they have right to insist,
that such statesmen can and must be
found. Over here the best we can
get, IL seems, is a half-hearted will
ingness on the part of congress to
investigate the packers, and this in
the face of the startling facts regard
ing the big packers recently disclosed
by the Federal Trade commission.
Not only are their interests sufficient
ly large, it has been shown, to give
them dominating influence in the
production and distribution OF all ami
NAL food products. but they are reach
ing out for control of other lines OF
food products, dealing at this time