New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-04-25
Punish Profit
Hogs or Resign,
! Says Capper
Senator Asserts Pirates Are
known, but Go Unhanged,
and Demands Effective
Action by Federal Officers
u. S. a ssRobbers' Roost''
Reads List of Corporations
I Which Show Gains asH High
as 200 Per Cent on Capital

From The Tribune's Washington B4.reou
8 WASHINGTON, April 24.--A demand
that the law enforcement officers Of the
Federal government resign if they do
not punish profiteers was voiced in the
Senate to-day by Senator Capper. Re-
publican, of Kansas. Senator Capper
fiayed the profteers and the govern
ment for permitting them to engage in
rampant, long-continued and unre-
stricted profiteering."
"These profteers are known, but
clared. He charged that the Depart
ment of Justice has permitted sugar
spectators to corner that commodity,
and predicted the people soon will be
charged as high as 80 cents pound
for sugar.
"If the law enforcement officers of
the government cannot enforce the
laws they should resign and let men
take their places who can" said Sen
ator Capper. IA government that
whipped the Hun 1000 miles from
system is strong enough to stop this
wholesale pillage of its people and re-
move the cause of strikes and unrest
While the Department OF Justice is
pursuing the prof1teer with steakless
Thursdays and the Treasury Is fortify-
ing people with preachments on econ
omy another epidemic Of strikes and
industrial disorder is on US, the result
of rampant. long-continued, unre-
increasing prices.
Brazen Challenge in Sugar
AT this moment the most brazen
challenge the government has had
comes from gamblers in sugar. We are
vide for the enormous new stocks Of
sugar, but corner in sugar has evil
IDENTIFY been formed right under the
eyes of the Department of Justice. AS
a consequence no such wild scramble
for sugar shares ever was known.
This government is soon to hear
from the people regarding sugar
profiteering. The canning season raid
is on. For years the sugar interests
regularly robbed American housewives
in the canning season. But the sugar
trust is allowed to prey on the health
and welfare Of the nation every year.
that it may enrich itself with profits in
the hundreds of millions. The people
are helpless. 1t is piracy SO colossal
and criminal that Captain Kidd and
all the famed pirates b come Sunday
CCuOOi CudA dCtClS w SViI pal ioOiis 4AOW
long wilt the government stand for it ?
"This profit-takng campaign of spec
ulators and profiteers in sugar sur
passes any barefaced larceny and bru-
tai demand yet made on this long-suf-
fering and outraged nation. These
profiteers are known, but they go un-
hanged. Wall Streets melon patches
continue to be warmed by the sun of
privilege. fortified by the Precipitation
Of labor, watered by the tears of pow
erty. and this year will raise record
breaking crop from the blight of in
come taxes, while the people are being
urged to buy their coal early and be
robbed for less, to abstain from steak
one day q week and to buy war savings
stamps that Uncle Sam may live in
$4,000. 100000 style on a s6,0O0,000, 900
income.
The extent to which people have
been bled by extortion is almost un-
believable. The speculation and profit
eering in cotton and cotton goods has
been open, fragrant and scandalous. A
recent Senate investigation received
proof that the spread between farm
and store prices Of cotton material was
about 800 per cent, and that the re-
tail price Of cotton goods is SO high
that ordinary persons can scarcely buy
bedding, cotton, muslins and bingham.
II this is not grand larceny in day
time, / don't know.
Corporations Are Listed
II offer this list Of corporations that
have recently declared stock dividends
from one-ffth to twice and triple their
capital. Note their high percentages:
continental Oil, 200 per cent;
United Fuel Gas, 200 per cent; Ohio
Fuel Supply, 100 per cent; Nonquit
Spinning Company, 100 per cent; Amos
kcag Cotton, 100 per cent; Stutz Mo-
tors, 100 per cent: Nashua Manufacture
ing Company, 100 per cent; American
Tobacco Security Company, 75 per cent;
Manomet Mills, &c 2.3 per cent; Hooc
Rubber, sc 2-3 per cent Crucible Steel
SO per cent; Cleveland Akron Bag Com.
pany, so per cent; Union Bag anc
Paper, so per cent; Autocar Company
40 per cent; John R. Thompson Com.