The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1920-06-25
Among Those Present-At
Chicago
Woolen Trust Escapes
County Elections in Ireland
Italian Government Changes
St: Paul Labor Wins Wage
A Truthful Error

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the oil magnates, and the kings of
the coal, lumber and agricultural pro-
ducts markets.
Perhaps they needed the outing and
rest from the labors of business to
be obtained by watching the antics
of politicians, but one would also be
right in concluding that they recog-
nlze the close relation between bust
ness and politics. They knew the i'm
portance of having no effective laws
against profiteering, no enforcement
of antitrust acts and of railroad re-
bates possible under private owner
ship. We might add also the import
ance of having legal machinery to
browbeat farmers and workers who
90 not as vet grasp this relation of
business and politics as we'll as they
ito.
There is every reason for believing
that the big family left we'll pleased
with the weeks outing. And in a
short time they will all be on their
way to San Francisco to prevent the
progressives of the Democratic party
likewise from making it anything
less than 100 per cent.
Escape of William Wood, head of
the wooden trust, from the tolls of the
Lever act was so artistically accom-
plished as to deserve publicity in this
column.
He had been indicted for profiteer-
ing on ii counts under this act, but
his attorneys found that while the
charging of excessive prices for wear
ing apparel was prohibited, the law
did not mention bolts of cloth. The
attorneys pointed out that the two
terms do not mean the same in trade
practice and that if congress had
meant to include bolts of cloth it
would have done so. Federal Judge
Julian Mack has sustained this line of
argument.
We find difficulty in imagining what
the bolts of wooden cloth would be
used for other than wearing apparel,
or how we could have wearing appar-
ell without bolts of cloth. Judge Mack
might have interpreted the act more
literally, especial since the Republic
cans OF congress have assured the
country that the legislation on the
vent profteering. He might have
been at least half as liberal as Judge
Anderson of Indianapolis was in in
terpreting the act against the coal
miners.
Rather than blame Judge Mack,
however, for the Wood escape and
the escape of thousands like him we
would put it at the doors of con-
gress. There is no adequate laws
against progteering and we prefer to
see judges interpret the law strictly
rather than read into it points which
are not there. The friends of the
protiteers elected to congress for
f1ag-waVlng two years ago are respon-
sible for the escape of the black
sheep Of the wooden trust.
County elections in Ireland leave
those who have pictured the Irish
lately as a lawless people little to
stand on. Little, that is, if we &C.
cept as the fundamental definition of
that law which men ought to observe
the duly expressed will of the ma
jority of the citizens. For a long
time the sentiment of the voters Of
Ireland has been more than two to
one for independence and now comes
the county elections, which the par
ties for independence carry not only
in Catholic Ireland but Ulster as well.
Out of a total of 600 offices to be
filled in county governments the Sim
Feiners, as distinct party, captured
525. The combined forces Of the
Sim Feiners, Labor and Nationalists
parties captured 500 seats. There
was an agreement between the Sim
Fein and Labor parties in Leinster,
Munster and Connaught not to OPP
pose each other but to unite so that
the people could express themselves
for or against British rule.
British government agents, of
course, have much to say about law
lessness in Ireland and explain the
presence of an army Of occupation
as means of maintaining law and
order. They may be maintaining the
law and order of the British empire
and some will maintain that this is
the proper thing to do, but no one
can honestly maintain that the Brit
ish forces are upholding the law and
order of democracy, because the peo-
pie of Ireland have voted many times
by large maporities against British
rule. Many good English Christians
can now appreciate as never before
how hard it must have been for
go.
Giolitti's return to power in Italy
is significant of the turn of affairs in
that war dislocated if not wrecked
country. He was prime minister be-
fore the war and fell because he took
the position that Italy could gain
nothing by war and he never altered
that opinion in spite of the great pres
sure that was brought on him during
the conflict
\ hostile reviewer compares his re-
turn to the position as prime minis
ter as similar to return of Cailaux.
who has spent two years in prison on
a treason charge to leadership in
France, or the substitution of La Fol-
lette for Wilson here. There is much
similarity between Caillaux and Clio
ltti and the condition Of their respec-
tive countries, and many observers
have been predicting Caillaux as the
coming man of the hour in France ev-
e. since the French senate lacked
courage to make his efforts for peace
in 1917 a reasonable otfense.
The return Of Giolitti in Italy
means i reputation of the men made
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