The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-03-18
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS

Are the people of Birmingham more interested in saving their souls than they are in saving their dollars?
 Now, before you jump to- the con- clusion that have propounded fool ish question 7S4S," let me give you some facts, and then you will be In posi- tan to draw your own conclusions after having read what have to say.
 Now, I have maintained all along that people themselves are not stirred up about the high cost of living to the degree which oue would gather from the number of commissions appointed to look into the situation and the com ments therecn 5y the papers.
 It's true that cid II. c. L. gets on the front page mighty often. but do Got think he has ever been seriously disturbed over any efforts put forth by the city, state or national govern ments to put him out of business, for he knows full well that human nature is more powerful than any constituted authorities.
 They have never gone far enough to even define the word "profiteering, and so far as any profiteers are con- cerned so few of them nave been dis covered as to make them about as rare birds as< are the extinct dodos, and so Uncle Sam has mighty few tail feath- CTS that he can show as plumage plucked from those who are fleecing the public.
 Now, bear in mind that I am not re- flecting on any government officials for not having done more than they have in putting a stop to the practices which are so heartily condemned by those having the ear of the public. l recall with what zeal my friend, Erie Pettus, the newly appointed district att torney entered into the conflict, and we all know that his efforts were most disappointing not because of anything which he left undone, but from the fact that there was so little that he could do.
 This also applies to friend Spain, the chairman of the work here in Jef- ferson county and his able board, made 1 up of our most representative citizens ] It's true that some things were accom- pilshed, but a pessimistic citizen said about all that he could locate was that the price of linen collars had been kept down to 25 cents, but that he had been ] tipped off by two local merchants that the reason 30 cents was not charged was because there had been disagree ment among themselves about main taining the price.
 sse l He added, however, that he was not a knocker, for the price of a cup of coffee had been held down to cents Of course, this is an exaggerated and unfair comment on the faithful services of our public spirited citizens, who have l given their time so freely in an effort to protect the interests of the people Now, the trouble with such statements arises from the fact that the public ex- pected too much from the government and depended too little on what it coule do in the premises.
 
 l It is a tremendously complicated matter, for into it enters social politi- ! cal and economic questions of fal reaching importance Take, for in stance, the matter of the merchant Ii he to base his profits upon the cost ol I the replacement value of his merchan' disc. Now, this has been hotly de bated A few have held and acted oI the fact that they were content to bu, and sell with reasonable percentage figured on the cost price, while many
 have felt'that they were entitled to rear the benefit of their foresight in wise buying.
 There is a growing idea among the American people that the government can do everything. We want some
 thing corrected here in our civic lift and we rush to the commissions; vt
 wish other things changed and we bea
 it to the legislature; we desire stil
 wider innovations through legislation
 and we take train for Washington tt
 try and bring pressure on Congress
 The older I get the less confidence
 have in social, political. religious oi
 economic changes which are hurriedl,
 born in legislation rather than out O
 a long gestation of education.
 | I am sensible that heroic efforts hav'
 been and are being made to reduce tn,
 high cost of living through appeals t' the conscience of the profiteers. and b,
 getting those who produce and sel
 commodities to be content with reason
 able returns on their investments; ant
 that when men cannot be brought b,
 moral suasion to see that it's the bes
 way to serve the best interests of thei country to strive through restrictiv or remedial legislation to proven those who will not be governed by tn law of service.
 No, have not forgotten the question
 which l propounded at the beginnini of this article. I have simply been lay , ing a basis for what Is to follow. Tues ? day afternoon I attended the Bible lee
 ture given by Dr. G. Campbell Morgan land the lower floor of the First Meth odist church was crowded, and the gal leries welI1filled, with the most repre- , sentative people of this city. say