Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-01-29
TACKLES THE
HIGH COST OF LIVING
Attorney General Includes Saving and
Safe Investment In compre-
hensive Plan.
BY Frances NJ. coslIn.

united States Attorney Genera
Palmer outlines the platform on which
the movement to reduce the high cos
of living is built. Organization in this
work is now going on all over the
country and lei almost as much tc
every American citizen as did the war
The inequality of supply and de
mand, as a natural outcome of the
wal, Is set forth. Production suffers
and Is at a low ebb, says the Attor
ney General. If demand is greater
than supply, steps must be taken to
decrease demand. By decreasing de.
mand, women must take an active
part. They should realize the impor.
lance of this reconstruction problem
as keenly and with as much patriot
ism as they realized their RESPONSE
bilities during the war;,
Simple living in the home, which
means watching all channels Of ex
penditures wisely, is one of the means
towards this end. Extravaganza in
dress is a great factor. A great many
are already conserving in this line.
Some Of the wealthy are doing it.
Prominent men and women are doing
1t. There are, however, two classes
that will not do it-those wealthy ones
who have no regard for the rights of
their fellow-men or the welfare Of
their country, and the ones in less for
tunate circumstances whose shallow
minds are reflected in an empty peck
ot5ook every payday. Many spend all
on diversions, many spend all on cloth
ing. Their backs are their banks.
Women can do more than half in
decreasing the high cost of living if
they will "get together" and think.
The labor situation of today is a
delicate one and closer understanding
and cooperation between employer
and employe is urged. Both should
give and take, and allow fair adjust
ment to follow, instead of one or the
other side holding out in order to
bring their quarrel to the doors Of the
government, where so many important
issues of the day are clamoring for
settlement.
Every man has a right to a fair
profit, but when he exceeds that fair
ness he is committing the punishable
offense of ~prof1teering, says Mr.. Pal
mel. A study of prices of commodi-
ties should be made in conjunction
with the Fair Price Commission and
when a case of profteering is found,
1t should be reported to Fair Price
Commissioner or to the Attorney Gen
eral.
We need unity, sincerity of purpose
and adherence to the principles of the
movement to accomplish results. We
need solid organization and determi-
nation. And while we are working
along the lines of conservation, fair
conditions and saving and thrift, we
should not forget the safety of what
we save during this period of recon
struetion and know that the Govern
ment securities are the wisest to own
and the best. War Savings Stamps
and Treasury Certificates pay splendid
interest and are not subject to inan-
cial panics that decrease their value.
Also we are arming the Government
to withstand the many knotty prob
lens of reconstruction.
Some Of the things Mr.. Palmer
urges are these: Buy in~telligently
and only necessaries, raise and make
OWN things, report boarding, report
waste or ~profteering in hotels, insist
On fair weights and measures, en-
courage home industries and closer CO.
operation between original producer
and ultimate consumer. Your Govern
nent, says Mr.. Palmer, will profit if
you will help along in these: Preach
OUR form of government, teach En-
slish, root out agitators, instill In
abor class the thought that ~agitators
not be feared or tolerated and
'eport their threats to Department of
Justice, employers to return loyalty
or loyalty, show advantages of our
avs, back and push through good leg
Station. investigate men and women
candidates before electing them to
,ffice.